Episode summary
BONUS SERIES: Levittown Episode 5 | The Vigilantes | Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition
Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition
· · 41 min · Hosts: Tom Keene, Jon Ferro, Lisa Abramowicz · Guests: Kayla
Summary
Kayla describes how discovering Patrick Carrey’s identity made the abuse feel worse, because the deepfaked images did not stay online; they changed how she felt about her body and pushed her into eating issues and long-lasting shame. In court, she faced him directly, sat through his plea and sentencing, and chose to read a victim impact statement that reframed the encounter as a moment of defiance rather than fear. The judge ultimately sentenced Patrick to 6 months in prison, 10 years probation, and lifetime sex-offender registration with strict restrictions on phones, cameras, and where he could live.
The episode then shifts to the effort to shut down the website itself. A New Zealand investigator traces the domain through burner emails, hacked databases, payment records, and corporate registrations to identify Scott Tran Costa as the likely operator. When authorities show little interest, an online coalition forms around a Reddit watchdog group and a hacker known as Pom Pomon Purine, and they use complaints, publicity, and harassment tactics to pressure service providers until the site goes offline.
The ending argues that the takedown was both effective and troubling: the vigilantes succeeded in disrupting the site, but the episode emphasizes that internet mobs can become indiscriminate, and that even people claiming to fight abuse may themselves be implicated in criminal behavior.
Key takeaways
- Kayla says the abuse altered her body image and eating habits long after she learned Patrick Carrey was behind the fake photos.
- The judge sentenced Patrick Carrey to 6 months in prison, 10 years probation, and lifetime sex-offender registration.
- A New Zealand investigator connected the site to Scott Tran Costa using burner-email traces, hacked databases, and company records.
- A Reddit forum with more than 20,000 members helped organize complaints that pressured hosting and ad providers to drop the site.
- The episode warns that online vigilante campaigns can work, but they can also spread harassment and miss who is behind the keyboard.
Notable quotes
“It completely altered the way that I thought about my body. I used to feel so confident about it”
“I can safely say you are the weakest person in the room, not any of the victims”
“You hurt me, but you have also changed me. You completely changed the way that I viewed myself and my body”
“we felt very strongly about having him on that sex offender probation because it's much more stringent than typical probation”
“A Reddit army is something to behold. It's impressive and a little alarming how fast dozens of people can come together with a singular purpose”
How the episode opens
A quick note, this is episode five of a six-part series. If you haven't heard the prior episodes, we recommend going back and starting there. It should also be noted that this series explores sexualized imagery involving minors and violence. Please take care when listening. How did you feel when you heard the name Patrick Carrie overall? Like shocked, like completely shocked.
I was sitting with Kayla back where the story began. We were in her living room a couple miles from the basement where Patrick Carrey had wre havoc on the young woman of Levittown. Kayla remember was the first person to learn from her father that she was on the website and she later came to learn that Patrick Carrey was the person behind the faked photos of her.
This kid would DM me all the time and also like swipe up on my Instagram stories. He never gave strange vibes to me. So when I heard his name, I'm like, are we thinking the same Patrick Carrie?
Cuz that's insane. And how did learning who was behind the website change your perspective on the situation? I think that made it even worse because
For Kayla, his actions had realworld consequences.
It completely altered the way that I thought about my body. I used to feel so confident about it. I felt so in tune with my body and then it completely changed.
I started having eating issues. I would eat two bites and feel absolutely disgusted in what I'm eating and disgusted in my body for wanting food. What Patrick had done to Kayla's pictures online worked on Kayla offline.
He had manipulated her images, played with and altered her body to suit himself. And in turn, she was changed. She had to figure out who she was now in the aftermath of his campaign.
From the episode’s captions: roughly the first two minutes, lightly cleaned. Keep watching on YouTube →
Topics
- court harassment
- new zealand investigation
- hacking network
- cybersecurity
- vigilantism
Watch the episode
Summary, takeaways and quote selection by Octagon. Quotes are short excerpts; the full conversation is in the episode.
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