From: jcs
In mid-2018, 29-year-old Grant, unemployed and living rent-free in his parents’ guest house, began experimenting with online cam sites [00:00:00]. These platforms allow users to solicit live performances from models in exchange for money, differing from regular porn sites by offering interactive experiences [00:00:23].
Escalating Addiction and Financial Ruin
Grant initially browsed multiple cam models, spending an average of 20 minutes on each [00:00:37]. His online activity escalated significantly after June 5th, when forensics discovered he came into contact with a performer known as Sylvie [00:00:43]. Over the next six months, Grant spent over $200,000 on this one model [00:00:51].
The financial toll on his family was catastrophic [00:00:53]:
- His father’s entire life savings, accumulated from over 30 years as a pharmacist, totaling $57,000, were gone [00:00:55].
- He spent $60,000 from his brother’s credit card [00:01:03].
- He took out a $65,000 loan on the family home [00:01:06].
Grant explained that cam models are like a “virtual girlfriend,” and much of the money went to Sylvie, who lived in Bulgaria [00:15:13]. He would spend four hours a night on the site, paying real money for tokens that were then converted into the company’s digital currency [00:15:48]. Grant admitted to an emotional connection with Sylvie, stating he felt like he “did” love her [00:19:07][00:49:36].
Consequences and Deception
When Grant’s family discovered the extent of his spending, they did not call the police [00:01:08]. Instead, he was sent to a behavioral rehabilitation facility for online porn addiction [00:01:10]. The cost of this rehab, $15,000, was paid by his brother, Cody [00:17:46].
A condition for continuing to live at home after rehab was that Grant cease all communication with Sylvie [00:01:36]. However, just three weeks after his return on January 4th, his family discovered he had broken this rule and re-established contact via Twitter [00:01:39]. He had deceived his family by claiming the money was for advertising his Twitch streaming [00:16:53].
The ongoing financial burden and deceit led to frequent arguments within the family, particularly with his father, who focused heavily on the money [00:18:26][00:14:26]. This culminated in a heated argument with his father, Chad Amato, on January 24th, after which Grant was kicked out of the house [00:01:47].
The Murders and Subsequent Purchase
The following morning, Grant’s parents, Chad and Margaret Amato, and brother, Cody Amato, were found dead from gunshot wounds [00:02:21]. Grant became the prime suspect [00:02:26].
Evidence later revealed the extreme extent of his online porn addiction and its link to the crime and deception:
- After murdering his family, Grant used his dead brother Cody’s credit card to purchase $599.99 worth of access to Sylvie’s website [00:21:58].
- This purchase was made at 3:02 A.M. on January 25th from a Publix supermarket parking lot, where he used the free Wi-Fi [00:22:30][00:52:02].
The prosecution argued that the case was about Grant’s “blind obsession with this woman” and his “absolute contempt for those that he held responsible” for the “end of the world as he believed it to be” due to his family’s intervention [00:52:30]. Grant Amato was eventually sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole [00:52:55].