Dive into a harrowing real-life saga on the "Rotten Mango" podcast where host Stephanie Soo unravels the shocking revelations of Korea's notorious digital crime: the Nth Room. In this episode, Stephanie sheds light on the dark corners of the internet where widespread exploitation and horror are turned into a twisted form of entertainment, auctioned to thousands of anonymous users.
This deep dive into cyber criminality reveals the horrific business of "The Doctor," an individual who lures unsuspecting victims into a web of blackmail with devastating consequences. Stephanie Soo narrates the chilling narrative of Eunji's entrapment, the vile nature of the abuse inflicted upon these "slaves," and the distressing efforts from journalists and producers who faced severe threats while attempting to dismantle the Doctor's operation. Listen as the past horrors intertwine with present fears through the resurgence of "God God," signaling a terrifying continuity of this digital nightmare.
Sign up for Shortform to access the whole episode summary along with additional materials like counterarguments and context.
Paxa, known as "The Doctor," traps individuals by promising money, and then compels them through blackmail, using their personal data as leverage. Eunji, a South Korean college graduate, falls victim to this scheme, beginning with the coercion to take a nude photo and spiraling into the production of explicit videos under threat of her personal information being leaked.
The "slaves" suffer intense physical and mental abuse. The acts of torture involve degrading and physically harmful tasks and even forced incest. The emotional torment is exacerbated by the victims having to feign enjoyment, amid the trauma they endure.
The Doctor's gruesome market operates in the Gotham Room on the Telegram app, selling access to various levels of torture. Pricing ranges from $187 to $1,200 for exclusive access. His operation is sustained by an extensive staff who oversee customer screening and financial transactions, with a shocking 260,000 people transferring funds for access.
Efforts by journalist Reporter Kim and SBS producers to expose the Doctor only lead to increased notoriety and participation in the rooms. A chilling threat to the SBS crew underscores the perilous nature of their work and the futility of their actions against the Doctor's criminal network.
The return of "God God," the original mastermind behind the chat rooms, after a brief absence, rekindles fear and anxiety, indicating a possible escalation in the severity and frequency of the atrocities committed within this abysmal realm.
1-Page Summary
A shocking case emerges as Paxa, a doctor, operates an illegal international CP torture ring, thriving on the Telegram app and instilling fear as a "godlike figure" within this dark corner of the digital world.
Paxa, using the moniker "The Doctor," lures victims with promises of money, only to ensnare them in a web of blackmail and coercion, holding their personal information hostage to command obedience.
Eunji, enticed by an offer that dwarfed a college graduate's salary in South Korea, becomes ensnared by the Doctor. He intimidates her with personal details — from her school information to her parents' phone numbers — and demands increasingly egregious tasks, starting with a single nude photo in a school stairwell, escalating to the creation of explicit videos under threat of exposing her. As the demands grew, so did the threats, including leaking unsolicited photos and spreading explicit videos on her Twitter.
Victims endure both physical and emotional abuse at the hands of the Doctor and his anonymized audience. This torture ranges from the humiliation of licking toilets to the enduring pain and bleeding from inserting dangerous objects. Women are even forced into incestuous acts, forever tainting familial bonds. Beyond the physical, there's psychological manipulation; victims smile through tears, coerced into portraying a facade of pleasure.
The Doctor operates within Gotham Room, a marketplace on Telegram, offering varying degrees of abuse through a tiered payment system that ranges from $187 to about $1,200 for VIP access. His organization includes dozens of employees who facilitate the commerce of torture, vetting potential customers and managing transactions, further legitimizing the operation as a twisted business endeavor. Astonishingly, 260,000 people wired money for access.
The ...
The Doctor's Torture Chat Rooms and Crimes
...
Download the Shortform Chrome extension for your browser