Instagram celebrity converts fans into "slaves": Spiritual "gurus" defraud women, who are then treated with mental treatment

Influencer on wellness Kat Torres was found guilty of human trafficking and enslavement and given an eight-year jail term. Startling revelations of being forced to work as a live-in assistant and being exploited and imprisoned are disclosed by former customers.

This month, wellness guru Kat Torres was found guilty of human trafficking and enslavement and given an eight-year jail term. The development followed the discovery during an FBI probe that two of the former model's housemates had vanished in 2022. In addition, supporters of Torres who were eventually the object of her compulsion have charged her with "sexual exploitation, enslavement, and imprisonment."

She appeared on magazine covers. She was seen with well-known individuals like Leonardo DiCaprio. "Everything I saw looked real," Ana, a former customer, told the BBC.

But things took a turn for the worst when Torres invited her to go to New York in 2019 to take a live-in assistant position. Living in the influencer's room was really an eye-opening experience since Torres couldn't manage to do even the simplest things, like take a shower, by herself. Ana remembered being on call all the time and only being permitted to sleep on a couch soiled by cat poop for a few hours at a time. Additionally, she never received the $2000 agreed-upon compensation.

The home was alarming since it was filthy, unkempt, and had an unpleasant odor. I can see now that she treated me like a slave.It satisfied her. I had the feeling that there was no way out and that I was trapped. She told the newspaper, "I was probably one of her first victims of human trafficking."

Following Desirrê Freitas and Letícia Maia's relocation to live with Torres, Torres finally came under investigation. Along with an unidentified third person, the two women, whose disappearance would ultimately prompt the FBI-led hunt, were presented to her social media followers as her "witch clan."

Desirrê, who went on to write a book, was coerced into working for a nearby strip club in a matter of weeks. According to reports, Torres threatened to curse Desirrê for disobeying instructions and demanded that she reimburse all of the money that was spent on her travel and lodging. The BBC was also informed by a strip club management that she put in very long hours every day of the week. Eventually, she found herself forced to choose a job as a prostitute over the strip club.

The ladies also had to follow a rigid set of guidelines; they were not allowed to socialize with one another and needed permission to even use the restroom. They had to turn up all of their money right away, and Torres kept their passports and other papers.

Human traffickers are not necessarily like the gangs who abduct individuals in the movies. The likelihood that it's someone you trust is far higher, Detective David Davol—who ultimately conducted the interviews with the women—told the BBC.