Stuck In The Desert With Satan
07/20/23 • 47 min
It's February 2017, years before Coco Berthmann goes public with her story. She's a 23-year-old German au pair, living in Las Vegas. And she travels to Utah for college classes that are a requirement of her visa. There, she meets an instructor we’re calling Emily. The two quickly develop a Facebook friendship. Coco opens up about the abuse she endured back home in Germany. And Emily shares her faith, as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Coco tells Emily how Celine Dion’s music helped her survive 15 years of unimaginable abuse. And soon, the story takes a surprising turn. Coco is invited to perform with Celine on stage and join her European tour. Only...was she?
If you or a loved one is struggling, help is available:
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988
National Human Trafficking Hotline: 888-373-7888
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): 855-897-5910
National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Resources
Mental Health Hotline: 866-903-3787
Produced by Dear Media.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
It's February 2017, years before Coco Berthmann goes public with her story. She's a 23-year-old German au pair, living in Las Vegas. And she travels to Utah for college classes that are a requirement of her visa. There, she meets an instructor we’re calling Emily. The two quickly develop a Facebook friendship. Coco opens up about the abuse she endured back home in Germany. And Emily shares her faith, as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Coco tells Emily how Celine Dion’s music helped her survive 15 years of unimaginable abuse. And soon, the story takes a surprising turn. Coco is invited to perform with Celine on stage and join her European tour. Only...was she?
If you or a loved one is struggling, help is available:
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988
National Human Trafficking Hotline: 888-373-7888
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): 855-897-5910
National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Resources
Mental Health Hotline: 866-903-3787
Produced by Dear Media.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Previous Episode
Something's Not Right
Coco Berthmann’s star is rising. She's young and pretty. And her eagerness to talk about the abuse she endured makes her a rarity in the anti-child sex trafficking space. For a while, it seems like Coco is everywhere, sharing her story of survival at international conferences, on podcasts and to her tens of thousands of social media followers. But in January of 2022, Coco shares some distressing news: She’s been diagnosed with a rare cancer. Her odds of survival are not good.
Just weeks later, Coco is arrested and charged with communications fraud. And people start asking – was anything Coco said actually true?
If you or a loved one is struggling, help is available:
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988
National Human Trafficking Hotline: 888-373-7888
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): 855-897-5910
National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Resources
Mental Health Hotline: 866-903-3787
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Produced by Dear Media.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Next Episode
Unforced Errors
By the summer of 2019, Coco Berthmann has gone public with her story. She's regularly invited to appear on podcasts and to speak at anti-trafficking events. One organization even flies her to Miami to give the keynote address at a star-studded benefit for survivors. But privately, Coco's story just isn't adding up. She shows all the outward signs of having lived through trauma, but she keeps getting caught in lies that have nothing to do with her larger story of abuse and survival. And those closest to her are struggling to figure out what actually happened during Coco's childhood.
Plus, an unexpected call from Germany changes the course of the investigation.
If you or a loved one is struggling, help is available:
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988
National Human Trafficking Hotline: 888-373-7888
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): 855-897-5910
National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Resources
Mental Health Hotline: 866-903-3787
Produced by Dear Media.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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