‘Eunuch maker’ body modifications site made almost £300,000, court told

An extreme body modifications website made almost £300,000 and amassed 22,000 subscribers who viewed procedures including the removal of male genitals, a court has heard.

Through his “eunuch maker” site, ringleader Marius Gustavson and other “like-minded individuals” carried out multiple mutilations, “the scale of which is without precedent”, prosecutor Caroline Carberry KC told the Old Bailey on Thursday.

The 46-year-old defendant had been involved in “numerous” extreme procedures with films featuring on the pay-per-view website between 2017 and 2021, a hearing was told.

“Arch manipulator” Gustavson, of Haringey, north London, has previously admitted charges including conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm.

The Norwegian national, who had to have his leg amputated in February 2019 after getting a man to freeze it, claimed £18,000 in disability payments up until 2021.

He appeared for sentence alongside six other men who had all admitted their part in the lucrative scheme.

Among them were Peter Wates, a retired former member of the Royal Society of Chemists, and Janus Atkin who had been completing a veterinary course, the court heard.

The charges relate to 13 victims who are being safeguarded by specialist detectives.

The wide-ranging conspiracy also involved the removal and trade of body parts, the court was told.

The procedures were filmed and uploaded to the “eunuch maker” website Gustavson ran, and subscribers paid to watch, with varying levels of membership from “free” to “VIP” which cost £100, the court heard.

The practice is linked to a subculture where men become “nullos”, short for genital nullification, by having their penis and testicles removed.

Ms Carberry KC said the group used a “wide variety of tools” for their procedures including clamps used for “animal castration”.

Ms Carberry told the court that during a facetime call with a man in Sweden, Gustavson told him to “maim himself” by cutting off his testicles with a knife.

Gustavson told him: “You know what to do come on, just push it.”

Three days later, Gustavson encouraged him to cut off his penis, the court was told.

In a video played during the hearing of another incident, one of the group’s victims was branded with the letters “EM”, for eunuch maker, on the back of his calf.

The man later complained to police about Gustavson and his “circle of acolytes”, and an investigation was launched.

In a victim impact statement, the branded man described Gustavson as a “lunatic” who had put together a “slick, professional website”.

Ten men were arrested after police raids in London, Scotland and South Wales.

Ms Carberry said police officers found Gustavson’s penis “in a drawer in his home four years after it had been amputated”.

Gustavson pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit grievous bodily harm, five counts of grievous bodily harm with intent, one count of making an indecent photograph of a child, one count of distributing an indecent photograph of a child and possession of criminal property contrary to Section 329(1) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Ion Ciucur, 30, of Gretna, Scotland, Wates, 66, of Purley, Surrey, Stefan Scharf, 61, of no fixed address, David Carruthers 61, Atkin, 38, Ashley Williams, 32, all of Newport, Gwent, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit grievous bodily harm.

The sentencing hearing continues.