Man at center of Reddit, Gawker controversy apologizes
A man known on the link-sharing site Reddit as "Violentacrez" has apologized for creating inappropriate content online after a reporter exposed his real-life identity.
Reddit is a link-sharing community that is known for posting everything from photos of cute animals to question-and-answer sessions with celebrities, as well as explicit content meant to shock.
Violentacrez, whose real name is Michael Brutsch, admitted to creating hundreds of sub-forums, called sub-Reddits, like "Jailbait," "Incest," "Pics of Dead Kids." He was also a moderator for the sub-Reddit "Creepshots," where users post photos of women -- including invasive "upskirt" or cleavage-baring shots -- without their knowledge.
Last week, the media gossip blog Gawker published an article revealing Violentacrez's full name and photo, sparking a clash between the two websites.
Brutsch, a 49-year-old software engineer from Texas, has since lost his job and claims he will likely lose his home. Brutsch appeared on "Anderson Cooper 360" Thursday night to explain his actions and apologize.
CNN's Drew Griffin confronted Brutsch on how upsetting the forum is for a father of a daughter, in which he responded by saying: "All I can say is I'm sorry."
Brutsch went on to explain how he managed the sexually suggestive content in a systematic way. His words implying that the photos of people were objects that needed to be organized.
"I saw it as creating folders to file things in. I created probably 600 Reddits or sub-forums," Brutsch said. There are hundreds of sub-Reddits, which according to the website are controlled by moderators, unless they violate site rules or the law.
"Well, I am to some degree apologizing for what I did," Brutsch said. "Again, I was playing to an audience of college kids."
According to CNN, Brutsch has not been charged with a crime.