Kat Torres sentenced to eight years for human trafficking

The lives of stars and celebrities might appear idyllic and luxurious. Every day, smiling faces look at us from TV screens and glossy magazine covers, seeming to exist in a world of endless fun and success. However, often behind this perfect image lies a reality far from ideal. Many stars grapple with issues that are not visible at first glance.

Kat Torres' fans believed in her seemingly perfect life. The model ran a website dedicated to health and promised her fans love and money, among other things. They could also arrange individual online meetings with their idol. In 2017, Ana, a student from Brazil studying at a university in Boston, joined the site.

She seemed like she had overcome violence in her childhood, abuse, all these traumatic experiences. She was on the cover of magazines. She was seen with famous people such as Leonardo DiCaprio. Everything I saw seemed credible - she said in an interview with the BBC.

Two years later, Kat asked Ana to become her assistant and move in with her. For $2,700 a month, Ana was supposed to cook, clean, and take care of animals. When Ana arrived at Torres' apartment, she realized that the life shown online was far from reality. The apartment was a mess, and she had to sleep on a couch reeking of cat urine. Fortunately, she managed to escape after three months.

In 2020, the model married 21-year-old Zach, with whom she moved to the suburbs of Austin. She then decided to recruit her most dedicated fans to work for her. Desirrê Freitas, Leticia Maia, and Sol had no idea that by crossing the threshold of her property, their nightmare would begin. Their passports were confiscated, and they could not leave their room. Sol was supposed to end up in a brothel, but she managed to escape. The other two girls stayed with Kat and were forced into prostitution, with one of them reportedly experiencing witchcraft. It wasn't until two years later that the families of the missing girls began an intensive search. The FBI got involved in the case. At the end of 2022, thanks to the investigators, the victims were sent home.

At the beginning of July 2024, Kat Torres was sentenced to eight years in prison for human trafficking and slavery. She appealed the verdict, maintaining her innocence.

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. People are saying I am a fake guru, but at the same time, they are also saying that… ‘She is a danger to society because she can change people’s mind with her words. (…) You choose to believe whatever you choose to believe. I can tell you I'm Jesus. And you can see Jesus, or you can see the devil, that’s it. It's your choice. It's your mind - she explained to the BBC.