ICYMI Are 62 Million Men In An Online "Rape Academy?"
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Apr 25, 2026 
Kat Tenbarge, culture writer who covers internet culture and online harms, joins to unpack CNN’s probe into a Telegram circle tied to disturbing sexual assault tactics. They discuss Motherless and so-called sleep-content porn. The conversation follows how a 62 million visits stat morphed into viral misinformation and why clarifying numbers matters amid survivor harm and policy debates.
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62 Million Visits Versus A Thousand Users
- CNN's investigation linked an unmoderated porn site (Motherless) with a separate Telegram chat promoting drugging and sexual assault.
- Motherless had ~62 million visits in February, but the Telegram group was reported as nearly 1,000 users, not 62 million men.
Huge Numbers Can Obscure Fixable Targets
- Big aggregate numbers (62 million) can feel unsolvable and paralyze action on a problem.
- Focusing on the Telegram chat's ~1,000 users makes accountability, investigation, and prosecution feasible.
This Abuse Predates The Internet
- The method of drugging-as-rape predates the internet and often isn't caused solely by online porn.
- Survivors reported crimes occurring years before these websites and Telegram groups existed, showing deeper societal roots.
