Does anyone have any info on the recent arrest of the body modification artist, Todd Bertrang? For example, what was he arrested for?

Thanks in advance.

Leon

Primarily for genital modification on women it looks like.

Well, I just looked at 2 articles on Todd Bertrang (http://www.toddbertrang.com/indexms.html).

Visit NBC Channel 4 (http://www.nbc4.tv/news/1854012/detail.html) or The LA Times (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me ... ec24.story) (requires Free registration).

You can view his interview on BME by clicking here (http://www.bmezine.com/news/people/A101 ... /todd.html)

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (AP) - A man who allegedly performed female circumcisions and other illegal body alterations at his home was arrested for investigation of practicing medicine without a license.

Todd Cameron Bertrang, 40, of Santa Clarita allegedly performed dozens of illegal and disfiguring medical procedures since 1997, including clitoridectomies and penile piercings, Medical Board of California investigators said Monday. The board is responsible for licensing and regulating physicians.

"Your typical piercing doesn't rise to the level of practicing medicine, which requires a license," said John Hirai, supervising investigator for the agency. "In this case, Bertrang did procedures on people that altered their body beyond a typical piercing."

The victims, who were mostly in their 20s, sought out Bertrang to perform a variety of "body modifications," Hirai said. Bertrang detailed those practices on a Web site.

Earlier this year, the site caught the attention of a doctor who reported to the medical board that Bertrang was performing clitoridectomies on women in Southern California. The agency launched an investigation under a unit known as Operation Safe Medicine.

The FBI, which had also received a complaint about Bertrang, had opened its own probe about the same time.

"I've been with the medical board a long time, and I can't remember a case like this," agency spokesman David Thorton said.

Local Man Allegedly Performs Female Circumcisions, More

Santa Clarita Resident Arrested For Reportedly Performing Illegal Body Alterations

POSTED: 8:20 a.m. PST December 24, 2002

UPDATED: 8:29 a.m. PST December 24, 2002

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. -- A man who allegedly performed female circumcisions and other illegal body alterations at his Santa Clarita home has been arrested.

Todd Cameron Bertrang, 40, was taken into custody last week for investigation of practicing medicine without a license.

State medical board investigators say he has performed several dozen illegal and disfiguring medical procedures since 1997.

The victims were mostly men and women in their 20s who sought a variety of "body modifications," which are described on his Web site.

While performing a typical piercing does not require a license, authorities say what Bertrang allegedly did went beyond that.

Earlier this year, a doctor saw the site and tipped off the medical board that Bertrang was performing clitori-dectomies on women in Southern California.

Bertrang's arrest is the tenth this year through the agency's Operation Safe Medicine, which investigates dangerous or unlicensed medical practitioners.

Apparently the police have nothing better to do than to arrest Todd Bertrang, my friend, for performing a vservice. None of his so-called victims were forced: they all came to him willingly.

I guess going after rapists, murderers and drug dealers is too dangerous work for them.

MacWolfie

Thanks for the info.

I agree completely with the sentiments of MacWolfie. All the procedures he performed seemed to be entirely consensual.

There is a clitoral hood removal experience that was performed by Todd Bertrang on BME, check out the following link - password needed:

http://www.bmezine.com/extreme/surgical ... myhoo.html

All the best,

Leon

MacWolfie (imported) wrote: Thu Dec 26, 2002 2:36 am Apparently the police have nothing better to do than to arrest Todd Bertrang, my friend, for performing a vservice. None of his so-called victims were forced: they all came to him willingly.

I guess going after rapists, murderers and drug dealers is too dangerous work for them.

MacWolfie

MacWolfie,

I would hunt for a dissatisfied customer if I were hunting for a whistle-blower.

I do not know Todd, except through visiting his web site. I would imagine that he has been watched for a long, long time.

I was always impressed about how he was pushing the envelope and nothing had yet happened. The last things that he posted on his YAHOO site was sort of like a solicitation for circumcisions on women.

You are right, though. It is one hell of a Christmas present.

As far as rapists goes, he was not a rapist, but rapists do not post pictorial histories of their acts on the internet. In some ways he is not as good off legally as a rapist would be under the same circumstances.

He does not even have a argument of plausable deniability.

I am sure that he knows what "clandestined" means. The organizations like NOHARMM probably has a hand in his arrest, I would say. I remember one time visiting his message board and he had a point - counterpoint with somebody posting there about his statements of female circumcision "enhancing" female sexual response. She (?) did not agree with him.

I can feature some over-sexed lady getting "cut" and then finding out that she could not "cum" too easily afterward.

I wish now that I would have e-mailed him and the reason why I did not was because I did not feel that he would listen.

I am pretty sure that he could get an attorney and cop an insanity plea and not do much serious time. If you want to help him go to the jail and visit him and try to get him the best attorney that you can.

I feel sorry for him but truly he has no one to blame but himself.

Also, I am not surprised that this has happened.

I am surprised that it took this long for him to be noticed, however.

A-1

I kept wondering how Todd could be as open as he has been and make the kind of claims he makes. He wasn't exactly quite or silent. He made interesting claims about the side-effects of the procedure that make me question a lot of the discussion about some cultural practices.

I don't exactly know why a woman would want to do to her body what he says he does to the bodies of women, but he raises intriguing questions about the cultural expression of sexuality and about our freedom to voice our sexuality.

I'm certain that he passes a kind of line, but he obviously struggles to move that line. What is your right to your body? The questions he asks impact many of us who visit here.

By the way,

If you want to know about the case that they have against Todd, all must be revealed in the "discovery" process. The prosecution must reveal all of its evidence and the defense must turn over every thing that it has regarding the defense. Don't jump to conclusions until you have all of the facts.

P

Riverwind (imported) wrote: Wed Dec 25, 2002 5:10 pm racticing medicine without a license

I believe is a much less serious charge than assault with intent to do bodily harm, mahem, manslaughter and so forth. I mean, he did not kill anybody and he should be able to make bail if he has not already.

Most likely, the Christmas arrest was to insure that he did time in L.A. County Jail with the general population. Then, they leak to the inmate population who he is and what he has done and let nature take its course. If I were you I would get him out on bail as quickly as possible. Like Tonight. Call Shannon at BME and let him know and perhaps he may be able to help.

Personally, I think that the prosecution has an uphill road, and their case will be built around emotion and shock value of presenting graphic representations of modifications allegedly performed by him to a jury. Unless they have his records or he has posted identifiable pictures of the alleged victims on his website it will be difficult to prove what he did, when he did it and to whom.

So, when you see him tell him "chin up" and fight the good fight. Who knows, they might put him in the same re-hab and group therapy as Winnona Ryder.

A-1

I thought it odd how the media articles RW posted in that in the same sentence they mentioned his clients as "victims" and then say, "they sought out Bertrang...".

Maybe I'm just nuts, but wouldn't you think that in order to be a victim, something has to be done to you unwillingly? These people sought the proceedures he did.

I would expect that Shannon and BME will probably keep a low profile on this one. Even though he will be personally disappointed at the development, unless he wants to do more harm, it's probably best he lets it run its course. Getting in the way of the investigation will probably not do anything, but if we keep educating the community at large, things will be tolerated and accepted more easily.

Look at the desires of many here... we've had articles on British television and in mainstream magazines here in the US. While they did not support the practices, they generally did a good job at presenting the facts in a positive light and let the reader/viewer make up their own mind. That's a step in the right direction.

This being said, I think TB was being a bit bold lately. That's what got him caught.

--LT