WILDCIDE

The Charrette: Ann Atwater and C.P. Ellis (Part 1)

In 1971 Durham, North Carolina, a civil rights activist and a Ku Klux Klan leader are forced to share a table—and a title. Before that moment, though, their collision was decades in the making.
In this first half of our two-part series, we trace Ann Atwater’s rise from public housing organizer to unshakable community force, and C.P. Ellis’s descent from working-class humiliation to Klan leadership—two lives sculpted by poverty, power, and the machinery of racial division. When a burned school and federal desegregation orders push the city into crisis, officials choose an unlikely fix: a “charrette”—a community planning experiment that will lock Atwater and Ellis in the same room, under the same fluorescent lights, for ten days.
Part One ends where history starts to tremble: Day One of the charrette, when contempt meets contempt and neither side intends to yield.
Part Two drops next week—covering the confrontation, the fracture, and the impossible friendship that followed.
And this Friday, listen to our exclusive interview with Daryl Davis—the man who sits face-to-face with the Klan today, living proof that the same collision still changes people in real time.

Shortcide: She's a Bad Mama Jama

This Shortcide is all glitter, salt rims, and felony-level delusion.
First up — Rita Crundwell: the beloved small-town comptroller who quietly drained an entire Illinois city for 22 years to fund her rhinestone horse empire. She stole $53.7 million from Dixon — the biggest municipal fraud in U.S. history — all while winning world championships and convincing everyone she was basically the financial Mother Teresa of the Midwest.
Then — Gina Champion-Cain: San Diego’s self-proclaimed “Queen of Hospitality” who turned liquor license lending into the largest female-run Ponzi scheme in American history. Nearly $400 million moved through her fake escrow world of margaritas, charity galas, champagne fountains, and shredded evidence.
Two women.Two wildly different aesthetics — horses vs. happy hour.Same core plot: white-collar crime dressed up as glamour.
These aren’t bank robbers in ski masks — these are fraud queens in sequins, stilettos, and beachfront branding.
Welcome to Wildcide: where the scams sparkle just as hard as the crimes hurt.

Profiling and Victimology: A Conversation with Pioneer Dr. Ann Wolbert Burgess

In this episode of Wildcide, we sit down with one of the most influential figures in modern criminal profiling — Dr. Ann Wolbert Burgess, the real-life inspiration behind Dr. Wendy Carr from Netflix’s Mindhunter.
Long before Mindhunter brought behavioral analysis into pop culture, Burgess was already inside the real FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, decoding the minds of serial offenders and changing how investigators understood trauma, violence, and victim behavior.
From her pioneering research in victimology to her groundbreaking interviews that helped shape the FBI’s approach to behavioral profiling, Burgess reveals what it really takes to understand both predator and prey. She walks us through the psychology behind notorious cases — including her role in the Ski Mask Rapist investigation — and explains how empathy became one of the most powerful tools in criminal investigation.
This isn’t just a look into the mind of a killer — it’s a look into the mind of the woman who helped the world understand them.
 
About Dr. Burgess:
Ann Wolbert Burgess, D.N.Sc., APRN, FAAN, is an internationally recognized pioneer in the assessment and treatment of victims of trauma and abuse, and author of A Killer by Design: Murderers, Mindhunters, and My Quest to Decipher the Criminal Mind. She has received numerous honors including the Sigma Theta Tau International Audrey Hepburn Award, the American Nurses’ Association Hildegard Peplau Award, and the Sigma Theta Tau International Episteme Laureate Award. Her courtroom testimony has been described as “groundbreaking,” and she has been called a “nursing pathfinder.”Her research with victims began when she co-founded, with Boston College sociologist Lynda Lytle Holmstrom, one of the first hospital-based crisis counseling programs at Boston City Hospital. She then worked with FBI Academy special agents to study serial offenders, and the links between child abuse, juvenile delinquency, and subsequent perpetration. Her work with Boston College nursing colleague Carol Hartman led to the study of very young victims and the impact of trauma on their growth and development, their families and communities. Her work continues in the study of elder abuse in nursing homes, cyberstalking, and Internet sex crimes. She teaches courses in Victimology, Forensic Science, Forensic Mental Health, Case Studies in Forensics and Forensic Science Lab.
 
To purchase Dr. Burgess' newest book, click HERE.

Jon Barry Simonis: The Ski Mask Rapist

Between 1978 and 1981, a quiet terror crept through the southern United States.Women and couples were attacked in their own homes—bound, blindfolded, and violated by a man wearing a ski mask who seemed to appear and vanish like a ghost.His name was Jon Barry Simonis, and by the time he was caught, he’d confessed to more than 80 rapes across 12 states. Investigators now believe the real number was closer to 130.
But this isn’t just another case of brutality, it's a case about the science that emerged from it.
When the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit—still in its infancy—noticed the pattern, they turned to a woman who would change criminal profiling forever: Dr. Ann Wolbert Burgess, a nurse and researcher whose revolutionary work in victimology helped agents read the psychological signatures buried inside each crime.
Burgess’s insights led the FBI to label Simonis a vindictive rapist—a man driven not by lust, but by power, humiliation, and control. Her method of studying what victims experienced became the blueprint for modern profiling, trauma-informed interviewing, and the way we understand serial offenders today.
In this episode, Bailey and Chelsea unravel how a soft-spoken Army veteran with an IQ of 128 weaponized patience, intelligence, and dominance to terrorize communities—and how Burgess’s collaboration with the FBI finally exposed the mind behind the mask.
Because sometimes the most dangerous predators aren’t the ones who act without thought. They’re the ones who plan every breath of fear you take.
 
Don't miss our mind-boggling interview with Dr. Ann Burgess dropping Friday 10/31/25.
 
Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe, rate and review on your favorite podcast listening app!
Want to recommend a wild case or just give s a shout?Contact us at Wildcidepodcast@gmail.com
For Wildcider Merch, visit www.wildcidepodcast.com  
Find us on Facebook@ Wildcide Podcast. Follow us on Instagram @wildcidepodcast
PS: Don’t forget Wildcide Wednesdays- new episodes drop every Wednesday at 6am EST. Interviews will drop every other Friday at 6am EST.Background music by Brad Parsons at Train Sound Studio. Art for the podcast was created by Kelly Steen. 
 
References:
American Press. (1982, January 18). Mother of ‘Ski Mask Rapist’ says son confessed to spare family. Lake Charles, LA.
Burgess, A. W. (2021). A killer by design: Murderers, mindhunters, and my quest to decipher the criminal mind. Hachette Books.
Burgess, A. W., & Holmstrom, L. L. (1974). Rape: Victims of crisis. Bowie, MD: Charles C. Thomas.
Burgess, A. W., Douglas, J. E., Ressler, R. K., & Hartman, C. R. (1986). Criminal profiling from crime scene analysis. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 4(4), 401–421. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsl.2370040405
California Digital Newspaper Collection. (1981–1982). Court proceedings and sentencing reports: State of Louisiana v. Jon Barry Simonis. University of California Press Archives.
Douglas, J. E., & Olshaker, M. (1995). Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s elite serial crime unit. Scribner.
FBI Behavioral Science Unit. (1981–1982). Interview transcripts: Jon Barry Simonis, Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola). Quantico, VA: FBI Training Division Archives.
Hazelwood, R. R., & Burgess, A. W. (1984). The behavioral analysis of rapists. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 423(1), 115–123. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1984.tb23433.x
Lake Charles American-Press. (1981, December 22). Local suspect confesses to 81 attacks across 12 states. Lake Charles, LA.
Louisiana State Police. (1982). Investigative summary: Jon Barry Simonis case files (1978–1981). Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana Department of Public Safety Archives.
New York Times. (1981, December 20). Around the Nation: Ski-mask rapist suspect said to admit 77 crimes. The New York Times.
NPR. (2021, November 30). Ann Wolbert Burgess on learning from serial killers. [Audio podcast]. Criminal. https://www.npr.org
PBS. (2022, January 14). How a nurse changed the way the FBI profiles criminals. Public Broadcast Service. https://www.pbs.org
The Cinemaholic. (2021, October 10). Where is Jon Simonis now? The Ski Mask Rapist update. The Cinemaholic. https://thecinemaholic.com
The Lantern. (1982, January 15). Ohio man exonerated after Jon Simonis confession. Ohio State University Archives.
United Press International. (1981, December 15). Rapist says own confessions convicted him. UPI Archives.
United Press International. (1982, January 10). Simonis pleads guilty to 81 attacks in 12 states; sentenced to 21 life terms plus 2,690 years. UPI Archives.
Washington Post. (1982, August 22). $2 million rape award. The Washington Post.

Shortcide: 'Pick Me' Criminals are the WORST

Some people will do anything to be noticed — post, pose, or even escape from jail.This week, Bailey and Chelsea dive into the wild world of “Pick Me” criminals — THE MOST obnoxious types of criminals where their egos outweighed any rational thought. 
First up, Bailey unpacks the bizarre case of Antoine Massey, the New Orleans fugitive who escaped jail, then went full influencer-on-the-run — livestreaming his manhunt and turning his capture into a clout-chasing spectacle.
Then Chelsea heads to Colombia- where 'Pick Me' Pablo aka Pablo Escobar- where his ego outlived him — literally — through a herd of illegally imported hippos that now rule rivers like they’re cartel territory.
It’s a double feature of attention addiction: one man desperate to be seen, another so obsessed with being remembered that his chaos keeps breeding decades after death.
Get ready for drama, delusion, and a dash of dark comedy — because in this episode, we're dealing with the MOST Pick Me vibes.
 
Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe, rate and review on your favorite podcast listening app!
Want to recommend a wild case or just give s a shout?Contact us at Wildcidepodcast@gmail.com
For Wildcider Merch, visit www.wildcidepodcast.com  
Find us on Facebook@ Wildcide Podcast. Follow us on Instagram @wildcidepodcast
PS: Don’t forget Wildcide Wednesdays- new episodes drop every Wednesday at 6am EST. Interviews will drop every other Friday at 6am EST.Background music by Brad Parsons at Train Sound Studio. Art for the podcast was created by Kelly Steen. 
​WILDCIDE Podcast and any content posted is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user’s own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare  professionals for any such conditions. 

Treatment for Adolescent Offenders with Samantha Ammann, RN, LCSW, CSAT, RYT

Trigger Warning: This interview discusses sexual compulsive behaviors, juvenile sexual offending, trauma, and family dysfunction. Listener discretion is advised.
In this episode, Bailey and Chelsea sit down with Samantha, a Licensed Therapist and Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT), who specializes in treating individuals struggling with sexual compulsive behaviors, pornography addiction, and partners affected by sexual offenses. Drawing on her background in nursing, addiction recovery, and trauma therapy, Samantha offers both clinical insight and personal compassion for clients facing shame, secrecy, and recovery challenges.
Samantha discusses her time working with juvenile sex offenders in a Florida diversion program—where adolescents were treated therapeutically rather than incarcerated. She describes how her perception of these youths evolved from discomfort to empathy, emphasizing that many of them were “damaged at a young age” and required treatment, not lifelong punishment. She highlights the emotional and developmental factors behind harmful behaviors and how accountability and empathy can coexist in treatment.
The conversation expands into prevention and early intervention, addressing the role of family dysfunction, exposure to sexual content, and the accessibility of pornography. Samantha and the hosts explore how shame often fuels secrecy and relapse, and why open communication, education, and trauma-informed therapy are key to preventing future harm.
The episode closes with a message of hope and awareness: there are trained professionals ready to work with adolescents and families navigating these painful realities, and early, compassionate intervention saves lives and futures.
 
About Our Guest: 
Samantha is a Licensed Therapist and Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT) who specializes in treating individuals struggling with sexual compulsive behaviors, pornography addiction, and the partners affected by those behaviors — including partners of individuals who have offended sexually. She provides a nonjudgmental, confidential, and safe environment for clients to explore the areas of their lives where they may struggle.
Her clinical experience spans sexual addiction and compulsivity, substance abuse, dual diagnosis, depression, anxiety, self-esteem issues, codependency, and relationship challenges. Samantha also works with clients experiencing chronic pain and tinnitus. She is actively licensed in Florida, New York, and Tennessee.
With extensive experience treating eating disorders such as compulsive overeating, anorexia, and bulimia, Samantha uses a cognitive-behavioral approach and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to help clients process and heal from past and present trauma. She also applies specialized interventions to address chronic pain.
Samantha believes that everyone has the capacity to release addictive patterns and live a life grounded in peace, connection, and purpose. Her passion lies in helping individuals and families overcome struggle, rediscover self-worth, and build a meaningful life of recovery and wholeness.
 
Contact Samantha – Samantha Ammann, RN, LCSW, CSAT, RYT
 
 

Adolescent Offender: The Hunter Heckel Case

Trigger Warning: This episode contains detailed discussion of sexual assault involving minors and may be distressing to some listeners.
In 2021, two assaults inside Loudoun County schools ignited one of the most divisive moral panics in modern America. The perpetrator—a sixteen-year-old named Hunter Heckel—became the face of a national storm that fused crime, politics, and gender identity into a single explosive narrative. Parents demanded answers. News outlets circled like vultures. And in the chaos, one crucial truth disappeared: Hunter Heckel was still a child—both culpable and still developing, guilty and yet unfinished.
Through psychological and sociological lenses, Bailey and Chelsea unravel how a local tragedy metastasized into national outrage. They examine the closed-door world of juvenile justice, where rehabilitation battles public fury, and explore the moral panic that turned a courtroom into a cultural warzone. Drawing from neuroscience, social theory, and real juvenile justice policy, the hosts dissect what happens when fear becomes the loudest voice—and what it costs the victims, the families, and the future of every child caught in between.
This episode forces a difficult question:When a teenager commits an adult crime, can society still believe in redemption?
 
Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe, rate and review on your favorite podcast listening app!
Want to recommend a wild case or just give s a shout?Contact us at Wildcidepodcast@gmail.com
For Wildcider Merch, visit www.wildcidepodcast.com  
Find us on Facebook@ Wildcide Podcast. Follow us on Instagram @wildcidepodcast
PS: Don’t forget Wildcide Wednesdays- new episodes drop every Wednesday at 6am EST. Interviews will drop every other Friday at 6am EST.Background music by Brad Parsons at Train Sound Studio. Art for the podcast was created by Kelly Steen. 
 
References:Borduin, C. M., Schaeffer, C. M., & Heiblum, N. (2009). A randomized clinical trial of Multisystemic Therapy with juvenile sexual offenders: Effects on youth social ecology and recidivism. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 77(1), 26–37.Letourneau, E. J., & Borduin, C. M. (2010). The effective treatment of juveniles who sexually offend: An ethical imperative. Ethics & Behavior, 20(6), 451–461.Letourneau, E. J., & Caldwell, M. F. (2013). Expanding the focus of juvenile sex offender management: Implications for prevention, treatment, and policy. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 19(4), 512–526.Reitzel, L. R., & Carbonell, J. L. (2006). The effectiveness of sexual offender treatment for juveniles: A meta-analysis. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 18(4), 401–421.SMART Office, U.S. Department of Justice. (2021). Sex Offender Management Assessment and Planning Initiative (SOMAPI): Juvenile treatment summary.Steinberg, L. (2017). Adolescence (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill.Cohen, S. (1972). Folk Devils and Moral Panics. Routledge.Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and Crisis. W. W. Norton.

The West Nickel Mines Amish School Shooting

⚠ Trigger Warning: This episode discusses violence against children, trauma, and death. Listener discretion is advised.
On October 2, 2006, the quiet farmlands of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, were shattered when a local milk truck driver, Charles Carl Roberts IV, stormed a one-room Amish schoolhouse and took ten young girls hostage. By the time police broke through the doors, five were dead, five were clinging to life — and Roberts had turned the gun on himself.
What followed stunned the world: instead of anger or vengeance, the Amish community responded with forgiveness. They comforted the killer’s widow, attended his funeral, and extended compassion when the world expected fury.
In this episode, Bailey explores the psychology of a man consumed by grief and guilt, while Chelsea examines how faith, culture, and community transformed horror into grace.
This is the story of Nickel Mines — a tragedy that became a global lesson in the power, and cost, of forgiveness.
Resources:
If you or someone you know is struggling with grief, depression, or intrusive thoughts of violence or suicide, please reach out for help.
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (U.S.): Dial or text 988
SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990
National Center for Victims of Crime: victimsofcrime.org
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
Faith-based trauma support: GriefShare.org
Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe, rate and review on your favorite podcast listening app!
Want to recommend a wild case or just give s a shout?Contact us at Wildcidepodcast@gmail.com
For Wildcider Merch, visit www.wildcidepodcast.com  
Find us on Facebook@ Wildcide Podcast. Follow us on Instagram @wildcidepodcast
PS: Don’t forget Wildcide Wednesdays- new episodes drop every Wednesday at 6am EST. Interviews will drop every other Friday at 6am EST.Background music by Brad Parsons at Train Sound Studio. Art for the podcast was created by Kelly Steen. 
 
References
ABC News. (2007). The Power of Forgiveness [Television broadcast]. 20/20.
After 18 years, survivor of Nickel Mines Amish school shooting dies. (2024). LancasterOnline. https://lancasteronline.com
CBS News. (2006, October 2). Amish school shooting coverage. https://www.cbsnews.com
CNN. (2007–2016). Interviews with Marie Roberts.
Guardian Staff. (2016, September 30). “The happening”: 10 years after the Amish shooting. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com
HISTORY Editors. (2006, October 2). Gunman kills five students at Amish school. History.com. https://www.history.com
Kraybill, D. B., Nolt, S. M., & Weaver-Zercher, D. L. (2007). Amish grace: How forgiveness transcended tragedy. Jossey-Bass.
LancasterPA.com. (n.d.). Amish grace and forgiveness. https://lancasterpa.com
Noll, S. M., Kraybill, D. B., & Weaver-Zercher, D. L. (2007). No greater love: The Amish girls of Nickel Mines. Sacred Windows.
NPR. (2016, October 2). Ten years later: The legacy of Nickel Mines. Morning Edition. https://www.npr.org
Pennsylvania State Police. (2006). Incident summary: West Nickel Mines school shooting.
Psychology Today. (2007, November). The healing power of forgiveness in the Amish tragedy. Psychology Today.
TO Pasture: “Amish Forgiveness,” Silence, and the West Nickel Mines School Shooting. (2019). Religions, 10(9), 524. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24462390
West Nickel Mines School Shooting: How a rural MCI was successfully managed. (2007). Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS). https://www.jems.com
WITF. (2016, October 2). Ten years later: Nickel Mines murders still haunt emergency responders. WITF News. https://www.witf.org
The New York Times Archives. (2006, October). Coverage of the West Nickel Mines Amish school shooting. The New York Times.

Trafficked: The Incredible Survival of Iasia Sweeting

The most devastating crimes don’t always start with violence — sometimes, they begin with a promise. A voice that sounds enlightened. Someone who claims to see something special in you… and then, piece by piece, rewrites what love means. What truth means. What safety means.
This is the story of Iasia Sweeting, a gifted teenage artist who vanished in 2010 — and was found years later weighing just fifty-nine pounds in a Gwinnett County hotel room. Her captor, Calvin McIntosh, a self-proclaimed prophet tied to the Nuwaubian Nation of Moors, ruled through doctrine and deprivation. Alongside his daughter, Najlaa McIntosh, he turned faith into a weapon — a theology where obedience meant holiness and hunger was purification.
But perhaps most haunting: this didn’t happen in secret. It happened in plain sight — inside an Extended Stay America filled with guests and staff who heard cries... and did nothing. In this episode, Bailey and Chelsea unpack not just what happened, but how: the psychology of coercive control, the sociological blind spots that enabled it, and the survivor who reclaimed her voice after the world stopped listening.
RESOURCES:
National Human Trafficking Hotline1-888-373-7888 | 📱 Text “HELP” to 233733 | humantraffickinghotline.orgConfidential, 24/7, multilingual support for victims, survivors, and concerned witnesses.
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)1-800-656-4673 | rainn.orgThe largest anti–sexual violence organization in the U.S., offering free, confidential crisis support.
StrongHearts Native Helpline (for Native and Indigenous survivors)1-844-762-8483 | strongheartshelpline.org
National Domestic Violence Hotline1-800-799-SAFE (7233) | thehotline.org24/7 support for anyone experiencing emotional, physical, or spiritual abuse in relationships.
International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA): icsahome.comEducation and recovery resources for survivors of high-control groups, cults, and coercive environments.
FaithTrust Institute: faithtrustinstitute.orgResources addressing abuse within faith communities and spiritual institutions.
Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (GCADV)1-800-334-2836 | gcadv.orgLocal support, shelter access, and advocacy services across Georgia.
Sealed With A Purpose: sealedwithapurpose.org (if live)Founded by survivor Iasia Sweeting, this nonprofit helps survivors heal through art, equine therapy, and empowerment training.
Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe, rate and review on your favorite podcast listening app!
Want to recommend a wild case or just give s a shout?Contact us at Wildcidepodcast@gmail.com
For Wildcider Merch, visit www.wildcidepodcast.com  
Find us on Facebook@ Wildcide Podcast. Follow us on Instagram @wildcidepodcast
PS: Don’t forget Wildcide Wednesdays- new episodes drop every Wednesday at 6am EST. Interviews will drop every other Friday at 6am EST.Background music by Brad Parsons at Train Sound Studio. Art for the podcast was created by Kelly Steen. 
​WILDCIDE Podcast and any content posted is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user’s own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare  professionals for any such conditions. 
References:
11Alive. (2018, September 14). Father accused of rape, incest, starving 15-month-old daughter to death enters guilty plea. 11Alive. https://www.11alive.com/article/news/crime/father-accused-of-rape-incest-starving-15-month-old-daughter-to-death-enters-guilty-plea/85-595993234
American Broadcasting Company (CBS News). (2014, November 14). Georgia baby’s death leads to charges of murder, child abuse, incest. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/georgia-babys-death-leads-to-charges-of-murder-child-abuse-incest/
Bondurant, Mixson & Elmore LLP. (2018, November 15). Gwinnett jury awards $13.8M to mother of baby starved to death in cult case. Law.com Daily Report Online. https://www.law.com/dailyreportonline/2018/11/15/gwinnett-jury-awards-13-8m-to-mother-of-baby-starved-to-death-in-cult-case/
Courthouse News Service. (2016, May 9). Baby’s estate seeks damages for starvation. Courthouse News. https://www.courthousenews.com/babys-estate-seeks-damages-for-starvation/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Deitch + Rogers. (2018, November 14). Deitch + Rogers obtains $46M verdict for infant’s death. Victim Attorneys. https://victimattorneys.com/deitch-rogers-obtains-46m-verdict-for-infants-death/
Dr. Steve Eichel. (n.d.). Forensic cases. https://drsteveeichel.com/forensic-cases
Gwinnett County Police Department. (2010, April 14). Incident report – Runaway juvenile (Case #10-043451). Listed in Sweeting v. Extended Stay America discovery, Bates Nos. 000018–19.
Gwinnett County. (2014, November 14). Homicide investigation: Homicide investigation press release. GwinnettCounty.com. https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/newsandevents/NewsDetails?news=PolicePressReleases/HomicidnvestigationHomicidevestigation
Law.com. (2018). Sweeting v. Extended Stay CPTO [Court filing PDF]. Law.com. https://images.law.com/contrib/content/uploads/documents/404/22632/Sweeting-v.-Extended-Stay-CPTO.pdf
News3LV. (2023, February 5). Middle Georgia’s cult legacy: The Nuwaubian Nation. News3LV. https://news3lv.com/news/offbeat/middle-georgias-cult-legacy-the-nuwaubian-nation
Six Mile Post. (2023, April 14). Iasia Sweeting raises awareness for trafficking survivors. SixMilePost.com. https://sixmilepost.com/11829/features/iasia-sweeting-raises-awareness-for-trafficking-survivors/
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. (2018, November 5). Gwinnett cult baby murder trial begins, bringing awful memories. AJC.com. https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/gwinnett-cult-baby-murder-trial-begins-bringing-awful-memories/WUJ4VGAz41Tv2VqxwCugvN/
WTSP. (2014, November 14). Georgia man charged with murder, rape, incest. WTSP News. https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/nation-now/georgia-man-charged-with-murder-rape-incest/67-300186569
YouTube. (2018). Father accused of starving baby to death – court coverage [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y53y69mj2cQ&list=PLdifGR5OPFpK7PIoqkZ4C9DLT4eVcc9XF&index=4
YouTube. (2018). Dr. Steve Eichel on cult dynamics [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BQz3RPKBk0
YouTube. (2018). Nuwaubian Nation explained – cult history [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIYpUun9zTc
YouTube. (2018). Gwinnett cult trial coverage [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2mTcs3SVc0
 

Preventing P*dophilic Offending: With Dr. Christoffer Rahm and Allison McMahan

Some crimes don’t begin in the shadows — they start in silence. In this groundbreaking conversation, we sit down with Dr. Christoffer Rahm, psychiatrist and lead researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and Allison McMahan, psychologist and doctoral candidate specializing in early intervention for individuals with pedophilic disorder. Together, they’re part of a pioneering movement asking one of society’s hardest questions: What if we could stop child sexual abuse before it ever happens?
From clinical trials to darknet outreach, their team at Karolinska is reshaping what prevention looks like — through neuroscience, psychotherapy, and empathy. Their program Prevent It offers anonymous, evidence-based therapy to individuals seeking help before they offend, reaching participants across continents and languages. In our discussion, Rahm and McMahan unpack the complexity of pedophilia — what science tells us about its origins, why most sufferers discover their attraction in adolescence, and how empathy, anonymity, and access can literally save lives.
They challenge common myths — including the belief that people with these urges are untreatable or destined to offend — and reveal why traditional criminal justice approaches can’t solve a public health crisis this large. This is a conversation about prevention, compassion, and the courage to confront what society avoids. Because silence doesn’t just protect victims — it protects perpetrators.
About Dr. Christoffer Rahm:
Dr. Christoffer Rahm is a psychiatrist and senior researcher at the Karolinska Institute, one of the world’s leading medical universities. His work focuses on understanding and preventing sexual offending, with an emphasis on early intervention for individuals experiencing pedophilic disorder.
Rahm’s clinical and research leadership at the Centre for Psychiatry Research, Region Stockholm, has produced groundbreaking trials — including PRIOtab and Prevent It, programs using psychotherapy and pharmacological treatment (such as testosterone-suppressing agents like degarelix) to reduce risk and improve quality of life. His interdisciplinary approach bridges neuroscience, psychiatry, and public health — reframing child sexual abuse not just as a legal issue, but a preventable medical one.
His work has been recognized internationally for offering hope and evidence where once there was only stigma — helping clinicians worldwide understand that empathy and science, together, can stop harm before it starts.
About Allison McMahan:
Allison McMahan is a licensed clinical psychologist and PhD candidate at the Karolinska Institute, where she co-leads international projects aimed at preventing child sexual abuse. As project coordinator for the Prevent It program — an anonymous, internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for individuals with pedophilic thoughts — McMahan has worked on expanding access across languages and cultures.
Her research focuses on early intervention, treatment optimization, and global accessibility, ensuring those struggling with these thoughts can receive help long before harm occurs. With a background in behavioral therapy and trauma psychology, McMahan brings a compassionate, evidence-based lens to one of the world’s most stigmatized clinical areas.
Her mission: to make prevention practical, ethical, and accessible — and to ensure that those seeking help can find it, safely and without shame.
 
Contact Dr. Rahm: https://ki.se/en/people/christoffer-rahm
Contact Allison: https://ki.se/en/people/allison-mcmahan