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REAL

Episode 1: Bad Grandpa

REAL

Naomi Channell

Society & Culture, News, Documentary, True Crime

4.8725 Ratings

🗓️ 29 January 2025

⏱️ 24 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In the 1960s, David Brandt Berg formed a cult that would become widely known as the 'Children of God'. He declared himself a prophet and he was known too many of his followers, as 'Grandpa'.


But 'Grandpa' was a highly dangerous man who normalised the abuse of women and children and he did all of this in plain sight.


This is a six-part series on the crimes of David Berg and others who belonged, and still belong, to the Children of God... and the cult is still operating today... all over the world.


This is Bad Grandpa.


WARNING: This series contains descriptions of abuse against minors, sexual abuse, suicide and murder. Whilst the descriptions are not explicit, please take extra care whilst listening.


If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this podcast, please see the organisations below who can help and support you:


https://www.mind.org.uk/ - Mental health support


https://www.spuk.org.uk/ - Suicide Prevention UK


https://www.samaritans.org/ - The Samaritans


https://www.thesurvivorstrust.org/ - For people who have been the victim of sexual abuse (UK)


https://www.rainn.org/ - Sexual Abuse Support USA


https://988lifeline.org/ - Suicide Prevention USA


https://www.nasasv.org.au/support-directory - Sexual Abuse Support Australia


https://www.suicidepreventionaust.org/ - Suicide Prevention Australia


https://www.rcni.ie/useful-links/ - Sexual Abuse Support Ireland


https://www.pieta.ie/ - Suicide Prevention Ireland


https://www.thefamilysurvivaltrust.org/ - Support for cult survivors (UK)


https://www.peopleleavecults.com/services/support-groups - Support for cult survivors & Intervention (global)


If you'd like to support the podcast, you can do so here, thank you:

buymeacoffee.com/podcast4justice

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Warning, this is a true crime podcast and is not suitable for all audiences.

0:05.5

Please use discretion.

0:07.9

This series contains descriptions of sexual assault against minors, murder and suicide.

0:15.3

Whilst the descriptions are not explicit, please take extra care whilst listening.

0:21.6

It's time, it's time for a molestown.

0:25.6

Life with grandpa, what can be more fun?

0:29.6

God now only has one law.

0:32.6

The law of love. Make your body my temple now come in.

0:36.6

When should cults become the business of the

0:38.9

criminal justice system? The children of God is said to be one of the most disturbing cults in

0:43.3

history. Printed material depicting sex between children and adults. Look, David, grandpa has a big

0:49.8

mountain with the blanket over his legs. If you're sure to other people, they don't understand.

0:54.8

It was so mostly three-no letters written by David Berg.

0:58.4

David Berg made disturbing videos for the children in the cult.

1:01.9

Women in the children of God were made to take part in prostitution, which the leader

1:06.1

David Berg called Flirty Fishing.

1:09.0

So many people think sex is wrong. So many people hate us, but we're just telling him that

1:13.6

she's not wrong, we're just telling them, it's not wrong, we're just telling us that there's

1:17.6

nothing wrong with him.

1:21.6

Cult, a noun, defined as a small religious group that is not part of a larger, a more accepted religion.

1:31.8

And that has beliefs, regarded by many people, as extreme or dangerous.

1:37.6

This series is going to take us behind the scenes of one of the world's most extreme and disturbing cults.

...

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