http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,190137,00.html

3 N.C. Men Charged With Performing Castrations in Sadomasochistic 'Dungeon'

Friday , March 31, 2006

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Three men have been arrested on charges of performing castrations on apparently willing participants in a sadomasochistic "dungeon" in a rural house, authorities said Friday.

"It's extremely bizarre," District Attorney Michael Bonfoey said in a telephone interview. "It's incredible the amount of ways that people can find to run afoul of the law."

Sheriff's investigators said Richard Sciara, 61, Danny Reeves, 49, and Michael Mendez, 60, admitted performing at least eight surgeries, including castrations and testicle replacements, on six consenting clients over the past year. None of the three is licensed to practice medicine, officials said.

The suspects, all residents of the house in Heywood County in western North Carolina, where the surgeries were allegedly performed, were arrested Thursday. They were being held on $150,000 bond each and could make their first court appearances Monday, Bonfoey said.

The sheriff's office had investigated reports of sadomasochistic acts at the house in 2004, but concluded there was nothing illegal going on because the participants appeared to be willing adults.

Renewed scrutiny, prompted by a citizen who made "strange statements" to Bonfoey, revealed that illegal surgeries were taking place, the prosecutor said.

Detectives who searched the home Wednesday found medical supplies that included scalpels, sutures, bandages, anesthetic and artificial replacement testicles, sheriff's officials said.

Also seized were [sic] videotaping equipment, and video recordings of the surgeries, sheriff's officials said. Photos and videos made at the "dungeon" were apparently featured on a locally produced sadomasochistic Web site, officials said.

"This right here beats anything I have ever seen," Sheriff Tom Alexander told the Asheville Citizen-Times, which reported that victims may have come from as far away as South America.

Each man faces 10 felony counts — five each of castration without malice and conspiracy to commit castration without malice — as well as eight misdemeanor counts of performing medical acts without a license. Each felony carries a maximum three years and three months in prison, Bonfoey said.

"Assuming that the victims consented to this — and we don't know that for sure yet — that doesn't make it a defense," Bonfoey said. "We can't have people who are not medical doctors lopping off limbs and other body parts."

and even more detail with photos at:

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs. ... 31024/1011

Here is a more detail news of the story.

eunuchSF (imported) wrote: Sat Apr 01, 2006 8:10 pm http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs. ... 31024/1011

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I would like to contact Dr. Applebaum and enlighten him regarding his comments.

I first became aware of this case late last night on peculiarities.com, a site operated out of Wales. So it is safe to assume that this will be well circulated for the duration of the "news event". How unfortunate. --FLO--

eunuchSF (imported) wrote: Sat Apr 01, 2006 8:10 pm "Assuming that the victims consented to this — and we don't know that for sure yet — that doesn't make it a defense," Bonfoey said. "We can't have people who are not medical doctors lopping off limbs and other body parts."

I don't recall reading about limbs and other body parts.

Suddenly 3 castrations = Jeffery Dahmer?!

S/M scene or not, it looks like what we've got here are some cutters who got caught.

Makes me a bit nervous if there was a computer or 2 in the house...

One of the first things I learned upon joining the EA is that my cutter had been arrested. He had all the parts and videos in his home. I was afraid there would be a knock on my door and questions to be answered. His roommate had turned him in to the police. I was never contacted luckily.

A psychologist in the same interview said that anyone who wants to be castrated is psychotic. So be it. Most of us have strong reasoning for our desire.

Paolo wrote: Sun Apr 02, 2006 9:22 am I don't recall reading about limbs and other body parts.

Suddenly 3 castrations = Jeffery Dahmer?!

S/M scene or not, it looks like what we've got here are some cutters who got caught.

Makes me a bit nervous if there was a computer or 2 in the house...

Well, actually it was six castrations plus penis removal and urethral relocation.

While I totally understand the desire to be castrated, and also understand why underground cutters fill the need of consensual desire, the reality is that these are serious medical procedures that can even have complications when performed by professionals.

The law probably treats these properly -- no "malice" is involved, and maximum three years for each felony conviction. The news about this has been pretty matter-of-fact, and points out that it was consensual. The psychologist that says castration desire is psychotic is of course wrong, but it is a psychological problem of some sort when you are so ill at ease in your own body.

Interesting.

I went to my psychiatrist and he wrote that it was OK for me to be castrated. He also stated in the letter that I was not psychotic! Went to my general doctor and he wrote that it was OK for me to be castrated. My urologist was OK with my castration. Now am I psychotic or just a normal person that has no need for testicles?

I guess I found three doctors that are psychotic?

I feel sorry for the people who are currently standing trial. As for the publicity - ironically - I don't think it's really such a bad thing.



Public reading these articles will first wonder "why would someone want that?" which is an entirely healthy (and understandible!) chain of questioning.

Of course, the authors try desparately to tie the cause to the S&M Scene, and make it look like some strange fetish. Of course, this argument is flawed, because participants who come to be castrated, will be forever castrated - even when the kinky scene is nothing more than a memory.

So, just incase people see through this argument, notice the author calls into question the sanity of the participants by using the phrase "limbs or other body parts", trying desparately to tar these individuals as non compos mentis.

We cannot blame them for trying, as always so much easier to sweep these issues under the carpet than to try and understand them.