‘Smallville’ actress arrested in New York ‘sex cult’ case
Allison Mack has been accused of recruiting women to join what was sold as a women’s self-help group but was actually a secret society
Actress Allison Mack, best known for her decade on TV’s Smallville, and Keith Raniere, the leader of what authorities allege is a sex cult, were indicted on Friday in New York on federal charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit forced labour, the Albany Times Union reported.
Raniere is the founder of NXIVM, which bills itself as a self-help and empowerment organisation, but is described by authorities as a cultlike group which recruited women to be sex slaves and branded their pubic regions with Raniere’s initials.
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle said Mack was indicted “for her role in DOS, a group … that purported to be a women’s empowerment sorority. Prosecutors, however, say DOS was actually a sex-slave ring led by Raniere, with women known as ‘slaves’ who reported to ‘masters’ who ultimately reported to Raniere himself. Mack is an alleged co-conspirator, reporting directly to Raniere.”
Mack, 35, is alleged by prosecutors to have recruited slaves for pay, forcing the women to have sex with Raniere, and using explicit photos and damaging information to ensure their compliance.