Marius Gustavson, a 46-year-old with a history of fraud, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years for leading a large-scale operation centered on extreme body modifications, which grossed nearly £300,000 between 2017 and 2021. The platform, known as the “Eunuch Maker” website, attracted over 22,000 members and involved procedures such as male castration and genital nullification, extending to the cooking and consumption of human testicles.

Gustavson’s shift towards this niche followed the end of his marriage in 2016, during which he started engaging with an underground subculture that later evolved into the criminal activities for which he was convicted. The court at the Old Bailey revealed the disturbing nature of his enterprise, including the keeping of human body parts as trophies and the sale of such items online, with some cases involving minors as young as 16.

The severity of the crimes was highlighted by the proceedings in the court where the judge condemned the acts as “little more than human butchery,” underlining the risk and the distress caused to victims. Moreover, the case brought to light the broader dangers associated with unauthorized extreme body modifications and surgeries.

In addition to Gustavson, the investigation led to the arrest and conviction of six other men involved in the enterprise, each receiving varied sentences for their roles. The Crown Prosecution Service and medical authorities have since emphasized the illegality and health risks of such procedures when not performed by qualified medical practitioners.