A glamorous life filled with glitzy parties and Hollywood connections often masks darker realities. Such is the case with Kat Torres, a Brazilian Instagram influencer who has recently been sentenced to eight years in prison for human trafficking and slavery.
Kat Torres first gained public attention with her seemingly meteoric rise from the Brazilian favelas to international catwalks, socializing with celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio. With over a million followers, Torres captivated many with her rags-to-riches story, spirituality guidance, and wellness coaching. However, behind those glossy Instagram posts lay a sordid tale of manipulation and abuse, which came to light following an FBI investigation.
In September 2022, two Brazilian women were reported missing, prompting a desperate search that eventually led authorities to Torres' home in Austin, Texas. These women were amongst her ardent followers, lured by her promises of a better life in the US. However, upon their arrival, the promised paradise turned into a waking nightmare.
Ana, one of Torres' early victims, was initially drawn to the influencer's narrative of overcoming abuse and poverty. She moved to New York in 2019 to work for Torres, expecting to assist in her wellness programs. What she faced instead was a series of dehumanizing tasks - cooking, cleaning, even showering Torres - without any payment. Torres, it seemed, could barely function without constant assistance.
"It was shocking because the house was really messy, really dirty, didn’t smell good," Ana recalled. She was forced to sleep on a sofa stained with cat urine and often hid in the apartment gym to escape Torres' relentless demands. Over time, she realized she was being used as a slave, with no way out until she moved in with a new boyfriend.
By the time the FBI received reports of the two missing women in 2022, Torres had scaled up her operations. She referred to her close-knit group of followers as her "witch clan," inviting them to live in her Texas mansion where she promised to help them achieve their dreams. Among them were Desirrê Freitas and Letícia Maia, whose disappearances sparked the FBI search.
Once in the US, these women were subjected to strict house rules, including needing Torres' permission to leave their rooms. An even darker side emerged when Torres allegedly pressured Freitas into working at a local strip club, and later, into prostitution. Failure to meet the daily earning quotas meant sleeping on the street. Desirrê's memoir, "@Searching Desirrê," details this harrowing period.
"Many questions haunted me: 'Could I stop whenever I wanted?' And if the condom broke, would I get a disease? Could [the client] be an undercover cop and arrest me? What if he killed me?" Freitas wrote in her book. Bank statements showed substantial amounts of money transferred to Torres’ account, and Torres threatened to report Freitas to the police if she stopped.
The turning point came when Sol, another of Torres' recruits, overheard a phone call in which Torres instructed a client to work as a prostitute in Brazil as "punishment." Sol managed to escape with the help of an ex-boyfriend and soon reported Torres to authorities. Ana and Sol's reports, however, initially went unheeded until a widespread social media campaign by the families of Desirrê and Letícia gained traction.
In her interviews with the BBC, Torres continued to deny all allegations, maintaining her innocence and accusing others of lying. "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 minds with her words.'"
Despite her claims, the overwhelming evidence led to her arrest in Maine, followed by deportation and trial in Brazil. On June 28, 2024, a judge sentenced Torres to eight years in prison for the human trafficking and slavery of Desirrê, concluding that she had lured the young woman to the US for sexual exploitation. Further investigations continue, as numerous other women have come forward with similar stories.
Detective David Daigle, who suspected the truth behind Torres' facade early on, reflected, "Human traffickers aren’t always like in the movies, where you have a gang that kidnapped people. It’s far more common that it’s someone you trust." His warning underscores a growing trend the UN identifies as one of the fastest-rising crimes globally, fuelled by social media's reach.
The cautionary tale of Kat Torres serves as a grim reminder that the world behind social media's filters can be perilously deceptive. An influencer's millions of followers and glamorous photos can easily obscure darker intentions. Desirrê's powerful message in her book continues to resonate: "I hope my story serves as a warning." As more victims come forward, one can only hope for justice and greater awareness of the insidious nature of such human exploitation.