Name: Brazilian Instagram influencer and ex-model jailed for trafficking and slavery | BBC News
Uploaded: 2024-11-12T08:25:16.000Z
Duration: 13 min 30 s
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I remember she has like one million followers on her Instagram.

The rise of Kat Torres seemed to be the ultimate rags to riches story.

From poverty to international model and wellness influencer, she captivated women all over the world.

But behind the perfectly curated Instagram posts lay a very dark reality.

She took these girls and she convinced them to do whatever she wanted them to do, just like a cult.

These are the stories of some of the women caught in the grip of a self-proclaimed guru.

I was in a strange city having sex with a stranger for money.

I think I was probably one of the first victims of human trafficking.

And we meet their abuser in an exclusive interview.

They are saying she is a danger to society because she can change people's mind with her words.

Kat Torres, 1.73m, 88cm hips and 86cm bust.

As a teenager, Kat Torres entered beauty pageants and the world of modelling.

It took her from a poor neighbourhood in Brazil, all the way to Europe and later the US.

It was here that she started to focus on wellness and life coaching.

By 2017, self-care and wellness influencers had exploded online.

Anyone could establish themselves as an expert, regardless of their qualification.

And with more than 700 million users, Instagram provided Torres with a captive audience of young women searching for advice and guidance.

When I found Kat, I was just in a rock-bottom point in my life.

I had gone out of an abusive relationship and even before that I had a difficult childhood.

I had gone to conventional therapy, I had gone to many doctors, nothing was working.

I just didn't really see a future for myself.

I was like, let me see if I can find a spiritual answer.

Torres drew inspiration from spiritual leaders and self-help gurus from around the world.

She admired John of God, a controversial Brazilian medium who was later convicted of rape.

And she followed the work of Tony Robbins, an American life and business coach.

Who here can remember a time when you had a lot of pain?

Combining what she admired about these men, Torres successfully rebranded herself as a guru and launched a subscription site with online coaching sessions.

Ana says she had been attending these for a few months when Torres persuaded her to move hundreds of miles to become her paid live-in assistant.

Looking back, I see how she was manipulating me.

So I moved from Massachusetts to New York to live with Kat.

But despite working around the clock, Ana says she was never paid.

Now I see that she was using me as a slave.

Some days I was so exhausted in the middle of the day that I would tell her, like, I'm going to go work out in the gym, but I will go down to sleep in the yoga mat just so she wouldn't come after me.

I see the pattern clearly now that this is what she's been trying to do.

Isolate everyone to gather everyone to come live with her.

Ana managed to leave after three months, but in 2022, Torres moved to Texas and invited her most dedicated followers to move in with her, including Desiree, a young Brazilian woman who would later write a book about her experiences.

We've translated her words and used an actor to voice them.

Kat called me crying and told me she was having suicidal thoughts.

She said I needed to be in Without me being able to process what was happening, she bought my tickets.

Torres' control over the women in her home quickly grew.

They say they were led by her into making decisions that would dramatically change the course of their lives.

She talked about the money she had spent on me, including tickets, accommodation, food.

She said if I decided to leave, all these expenses would be charged.

Desiree says Torres persuaded her to work in a strip club, something she believed would be temporary.

At the end of the day, I had earned $700.

Kat proposed she manage it herself, keeping everything in the safe in her room.

She also insisted that my passport always stayed at home.

Desiree says Torres forced her to work long hours at the club, to earn at least $1,000 a day.

We have to wake up at 5am and go to bed at 2am.

That's how it is for everyone in the house.

Desiree writes of how Torres repeatedly threatened her, and eventually, scared and lost, she gave in to Torres' demand that she work as a prostitute.

On the way to meet the client, my legs wouldn't stop shaking.

If the condom broke, would I get a disease?

Could it be an undercover cop and arrest me?

Meanwhile, Desiree's family were anxious about her whereabouts, having lost all contact with her.

In a desperate bid to find the two women, their family and friends started a social media campaign.

As the Instagram accounts grew, Torres began a counter-offensive.

She also ordered Desiree to post a video of her own.

Torres was on the road when a law enforcement officer called to check the girls weren't being held against their will.

But I just don't want anything bad to happen to them.

What Torres didn't know is that the call had been secretly recorded, including moments before, where she was heard threatening the women.

Torres was deported back to Brazil, facing charges of human trafficking, slavery and medical fraud.

She's been in prison since November 2022.

More than 20 women have reported being scammed or exploited by her, many of whom the BBC has spoken to.

The first trial, which dealt with Desiree's allegations, took place last year behind closed doors.

Before, I would describe myself as a model, as a guru.

A team from BBC Eye Investigations and BBC News Brazil gained a rare court order to interview Torres in prison.

This is the first time since her arrest that Torres is being interviewed.

When I was seeing the people testifying, they were saying so many lies, so many lies, that at one point I couldn't stop laughing.

No women lived with me other than my dog, that is a girl, my cat, that is a girl.

We've seen messages from you inviting young women to live with you.

If you did not see a message in the federal police, you cannot believe this message is from me.

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Brazilian Instagram influencer and ex-model jailed for trafficking and slavery | BBC News

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