Edward Bodkin
Encyclopedia
Edward Bodkin is an American
cutter
(underground surgical practitioner) who was arrested in 1998 after police were tipped off that he was performing and videotaping voluntary human castration
s at his home.
Bodkin, an only child who had grown up on a farm near Kokomo, Indiana
, began advertising his services in the short-lived Ball Club Quarterly magazine, and castrated his "clients" in exchange for their permission to videotape the procedures. While voluntary chemical or surgical castration is legal for repeat sex offender
s in certain US states, for individuals undergoing sex reassignment surgery
, and for other medical reasons, in otherwise healthy individuals a desire for castration is often viewed as psychotic.
The Huntington, Indiana, county prosecutor charged Bodkin with practicing medicine without a license, a Class C felony
that made him eligible for thousands in fines and up to eight years in prison. He ultimately admitted to performing five castrations (he also kept "the trophies," in jars labelled with dates, initials, and an L or R). On April 12, 1999, Judge Mark McIntosh sentenced Bodkin to four years in jail, with two-and-a-half years suspended and credit for 69 days served. In a prepared statement, Bodkin said:
Bodkin was arrested in August 2011 by the Elmore County
Sheriff's Office. Bodkin was brought to the attention of law enforcement after he sent sexually explicit material, including child pornography to an inmate of the Massachusetts Department of Correction
's Treatment Center for Sexually Dangerous Persons
. After obtaining a search warrant
for Bodkin's home in Slapout, Alabama sheriff's deputies found additional child pornography and photos of human castrations. According to law enforcement Bodkin admitted to recording children as young as one month old in sexual acts. Further investigation of Bodkin was turned over to the Secret Service
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cutter
Cutter (body modification)
A cutter is an underground practitioner who performs voluntary surgical or quasi-surgical procedures that formal medical practitioners are unwilling or legally or ethically unable to perform. The procedures may be illegal in the particular jurisdiction in which they are performed, or of...
(underground surgical practitioner) who was arrested in 1998 after police were tipped off that he was performing and videotaping voluntary human castration
Castration
Castration is any action, surgical, chemical, or otherwise, by which a male loses the functions of the testicles or a female loses the functions of the ovaries.-Humans:...
s at his home.
Bodkin, an only child who had grown up on a farm near Kokomo, Indiana
Kokomo, Indiana
Kokomo is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Indiana, United States, Indiana's 13th largest city. It is the principal city of the Kokomo, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Howard and Tipton counties....
, began advertising his services in the short-lived Ball Club Quarterly magazine, and castrated his "clients" in exchange for their permission to videotape the procedures. While voluntary chemical or surgical castration is legal for repeat sex offender
Sex offender
A sex offender is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and by legal jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions compile their laws into sections such as traffic, assault, sexual, etc. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crimes of a...
s in certain US states, for individuals undergoing sex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery is a term for the surgical procedures by which a person's physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are altered to resemble...
, and for other medical reasons, in otherwise healthy individuals a desire for castration is often viewed as psychotic.
The Huntington, Indiana, county prosecutor charged Bodkin with practicing medicine without a license, a Class C felony
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
that made him eligible for thousands in fines and up to eight years in prison. He ultimately admitted to performing five castrations (he also kept "the trophies," in jars labelled with dates, initials, and an L or R). On April 12, 1999, Judge Mark McIntosh sentenced Bodkin to four years in jail, with two-and-a-half years suspended and credit for 69 days served. In a prepared statement, Bodkin said:
Bodkin was arrested in August 2011 by the Elmore County
Elmore County, Alabama
Elmore County is a county of the State of Alabama. Its name is in honor of General John A. Elmore. As of 2010 its population was 79,303. Its county seat is Wetumpka.This county is part of the Montgomery Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
Sheriff's Office. Bodkin was brought to the attention of law enforcement after he sent sexually explicit material, including child pornography to an inmate of the Massachusetts Department of Correction
Massachusetts Department of Correction
The Massachusetts Department of Correction is responsible for operating the prison system of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, US Massachusetts houses over 11,500 inmates throughout 18 correctional facilities and employs over 5,000 employees...
's Treatment Center for Sexually Dangerous Persons
Bridgewater State Hospital
Bridgewater State Hospital, located in southeastern Massachusetts, is a state facility housing the criminally insane and those whose sanity is being evaluated for the criminal justice system. It was established in 1855 as an almshouse. It was then used as a workhouse for inmates with short...
. After obtaining a search warrant
Search warrant
A search warrant is a court order issued by a Magistrate, judge or Supreme Court Official that authorizes law enforcement officers to conduct a search of a person or location for evidence of a crime and to confiscate evidence if it is found....
for Bodkin's home in Slapout, Alabama sheriff's deputies found additional child pornography and photos of human castrations. According to law enforcement Bodkin admitted to recording children as young as one month old in sexual acts. Further investigation of Bodkin was turned over to the Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
.