Surviving Toxic Relationships Podcast with The Matadoras · Elizabeth Jane and Deana Lynn

Episode #74: Exposing Serial Predators, How Technology is Helping Survivors Connect & Heal

·28 min·1 clip

Tracy says survivors are “in the control seat every part of the way.”

1. Surviving Toxic Relationships Podcast with The Matadoras focuses on serial predators, sexual assault, and technology-supported survivor connection. 2. Lizzie and Dina host Tracy DiTomasi, the CEO of Callisto, and her nonprofit matters because she works on prevention and response to sexual assault and harassment. 3. The episode asks whether technology can help survivors find one another without publicly disclosing what happened. 4. Tracy says she has spent 25 years in this work, starting with internships in college and grad school with neglected boys and adolescent sex offenders. 5. She says people pause when she describes her job and often tell her, “I’ve never told anybody but.” 6. Callisto is a national nonprofit built to help survivors of serial perpetrators connect through encrypted matching. 7. The web app is available to people with a .edu email address at callistovault.org and uses state plus unique identifiers such as Instagram handles, email addresses, or phone numbers. 8. Tracy says the system stores data end-to-end encrypted and never keeps plain text on the server. 9. When two reports match, an advocate trained in trauma-informed care contacts the survivors under confidentiality protections. 10. Survivors decide whether to meet, learn options such as police, criminal justice, civil justice, or Title IX, and choose whether to connect further. 11. Tracy stresses that Callisto does not investigate the case and does not report to police, Title IX, or HR. 12. She says the platform is meant to put “the survivor into control seat every part of the way.” 13. Tracy contrasts this system with public disclosure through journalists, which she says can still expose survivors to danger and online abuse. 14. She points to Epstein survivors and the comment sections around their stories as an example of how harsh public response can be. 15. Tracy says about 50% of survivors who speak with advocates want to connect with other people. 16. She shares a story of a survivor who thought she was alone until a Callisto match showed multiple people had been assaulted by the same offender. 17. Lizzie and Dina connect the discussion to their own experiences with toxic marriages and the way red flags often become visible only afterward. 18. Tracy says the episode is conversational and educational, with Lizzie and Dina asking practical questions about risk, college campuses, and how survivors find the service. 19. People interested in survivor resources, campus safety, and trauma-informed technology would likely benefit from this episode. 20. People looking for light entertainment or a non-sensitive topic may skip it.

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