Nine men appeared in courts in central London and Wales on Wednesday 22nd March 2023 over allegations that they carried out extreme body modifications, including removing penises and testicles.
Marius Gustavson, originally from Norway, is said to have been the ringleader of the six-year plot, which involved up to 29 offences of extreme body modification, the trade in body parts, and the uploading of videos.
Westminster Magistrates Court heard that Gustavson, 45, ran a website where he uploaded videos of the procedures and subscribers would pay to watch. The website allegedly brought in about £200,000 in income over six years.
Gustavson, from Tottenham in north London, has been charged with conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent and five counts of causing GBH to five alleged victims.
The charges include the removal of a man’s penis, the clamping of another’s testicles, and the freezing of a leg, which eventually required amputation.
The court heard that Gustavson has had his own leg, penis, and nipple removed and appeared in the dock using a wheelchair.
He is also charged with acquiring or possessing criminal property, making an indecent image of a child, and distributing an indecent image of a child.
The alleged victims are said to have willingly undergone the extreme body modifications as part of a society, which involves a subculture where men become “nullos,” short for genital nullification, by having their penis and testicles removed.