German ‘socket sadist’
persuaded women and girls to give themselves 230v electric shocks
A German ‘socket sadist’ persuaded girls as young as 13 to give themselves electric shocks while he watched on Skype, it is alleged.
David G faces 88 attempted murder charges after allegedly convincing dozens of women to send a 230v shock through their bodies.
The alleged foot fetishist would watch online as the women shocked their naked feet, it is claimed.
Prosecutors claim he posed as a scientist running a non-existent ‘study’ and offered up to €3,000 for people to take part.
The 30-year-old from Bavaria is facing trial in Munich where prosecutors said he knew that a 230v shock could be fatal.
Many victims carried out the experiments multiple times, and suffered burns, cramps, heart irregularities and even lost consciousness, it is alleged.
‘The victims believed he was a scientist and there was no danger to their carrying out the experiment, prosecutors said.
‘But the accused was fully aware that 230 volts was enough to kill a person.’
The court was shown one of the videos in which a 27-year-old woman chats to David G after agreeing to take part in the bogus study.
In the footage, the woman is allegedly seen using a spoon and nail to conduct electricity from a socket to her naked feet.
She is seen screaming loudly before grabbing her foot in what prosecutors say was a combination of two fetishes for the suspect.
The woman, from Berlin, told the court that she had been desperate for money when she signed up for the ‘experiment’ four years ago. ‘I had little money, and was looking for jobs on ebay ads,’ she told the court, saying his apparent academic title had persuaded her it was safe.
‘The accused contacted me and said he was working as a scientist and was conducting experiments into electric stimulation.
‘He really made a serious impression. I agreed as I needed the money.’
David G allegedly asked her to ‘keep your foot on there longer and show your foot to the camera’.
When she protested, he allegedly said: ‘Yes, unfortunately, I need you to do it on both feet.’
‘In one of the attempts, I caught the cable and got a large shock,’ she recalled.
‘Every muscle cramped, my back spasmed, I struggled to breathe and was lying o the floor. On my hand I got a blister.’
She told the court: ‘230v of electricity were sent through my body, I realised it was a stupid idea. Who would build something with spoons and cables and connect it to the power?
‘I was so embarrassed. But he appeared so serious and I just wanted the money.’
The case allegedly came to light when a 16-year-old was taken to hospital after falling unconscious. Prosecutors said she had told doctors about the experiment and the medics then went to police. David G, an IT specialist, was arrested in February 2018.
Judge Thomas Bolt has ordered much of the trial kept private because it surrounds the suspect’s sexual desires.
Defence lawyers Klaus W. Spiegel and Matthias Bohn claim their client had diminished responsibility for his actions as he suffers from Asperger Syndrome and autism.
David G told his lawyers: ‘It was an attempt to communicate with the environment.’