Brazilian Instagram influencer jailed for trafficking and slavery

In September 2022, two young women from Brazil were reported missing. Their families, along with the FBI, began a frantic search throughout the United States to locate them. The only lead they had was that the women were residing with wellness influencer Kat Torres.

Torres has been given an eight-year prison term for trafficking and enslaving a woman. The BBC has reported that she is also facing charges for similar crimes involving another woman.

What led the ex-model, who used to party with Leonardo DiCaprio and appeared on the covers of magazines worldwide, to manipulate her followers and trap them in sexual exploitation?

"Finding Torres' Instagram page in 2017 felt like a ray of hope for me," Ana explains.

Ana was not among the women who were missing and being searched for by the FBI. However, she was also a victim of Torres' manipulation and would play a crucial role in their rescue.

She was drawn to Torres' journey from a poor Brazilian neighborhood to walking on runways around the world, socializing with top celebrities in Hollywood on the journey.

Ana shared with BBC Eye Investigations and BBC News Brasil that it appeared as though she had successfully navigated through the adversities of violence in her childhood, abuse, and other traumatic experiences.

Photo credit: Jack Garland from BBC --- Please attribute photo to: Jack Garland, BBC

Ana relocated to New York in 2019 to serve as Kat Torres' personal assistant living in the same place.

Ana was feeling very exposed. She shared that her childhood had been filled with violence, she had made the decision to move to the US by herself from southern Brazil, and she had also been in a relationship where she was mistreated.

Torres had recently released her autobiography titled A Voz [The Voice], where she asserted her ability to foresee the future due to her spiritual gifts. She had also been featured on respected Brazilian television programs for interviews.

"I saw her on the front of magazines and hanging out with celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio. It all looked believable to me," she explains.

Ana says she was especially impressed by Torres' view on spirituality.

Ana was unaware that the motivating tale Torres shared was actually a fabrication built on falsehoods and deceit.

Torres' former roommate in New York, Luzer Twersky, shared with us that her friends in Hollywood had introduced her to the mind-altering drug ayahuasca, and her life changed forever.

"That's when she began to spiral out of control," he explains.

He also mentioned that he thought she was working as a sugar baby, receiving payment for being romantically involved with rich and influential men who were also covering the cost of their shared apartment.

Picture credit, Jack Garland/BBC

Luzer Twersky, who used to live with Torres, thinks that the substance ayahuasca had a significant impact on her.

Torres' website for well-being and subscription service offered customers the promise of achieving the love, wealth, and self-confidence they have always desired. The self-help videos provided guidance on topics such as relationships, health, achieving success in business, and spirituality, offering techniques like hypnosis, meditation, and exercise routines.

For an additional $150 (£120), customers could access special one-on-one video sessions with Torres where she promised to help them with any issues they may have.

A former customer named Amanda, who resides in the capital city of Brazil, shared that Kat made her feel truly valued and appreciated.

"I always discussed my doubts, questions, and decisions with her first, so we could come to decisions together," she explains.

However, it seems that the guidance had a negative impact. Ana, Amanda, and other past supporters explain that they experienced a growing sense of emotional disconnection from loved ones, and they were ready to follow Torres' instructions without question.

In 2019, Torres requested Ana to relocate to New York to become her live-in assistant, Ana accepted the offer. While studying nutrition at university in Boston, Ana switched to online studies and agreed to take care of Torres' pets, as well as handle cooking, laundry, and cleaning for approximately $2000 (£1,564) per month.

Upon reaching Torres' apartment, she soon discovered that it did not live up to the meticulously crafted image showcased on the influencer's Instagram.

"It was surprising to see that the house was extremely untidy, filthy, and had a bad odor," she expresses.

Ana explained that Torres appeared to struggle with performing simple tasks independently, such as showering, due to her fear of being by herself. Ana recounted how she had to always be there for Torres, only being able to rest for short periods on a couch that was stained with cat pee.

Photo courtesy of Kat Torres

Torres had over one million people following them on Instagram.

She explains that on certain days, she would sneak into the gym in the apartment building to catch a few hours of sleep instead of exercising.

"Now I realize she was treating me like a servant... she took pleasure in it," Ana explains.

Ana claims she wasn't given any money.

"I was in a situation where I felt trapped with no escape," she recalls. "I believe I was one of the first individuals to be exploited in her human trafficking scheme."

She decided to leave her dorm at the university in Boston, so she had no place to go back to and no money to afford a new place to live.

Ana explains that when she attempted to confront Torres, he became hostile, bringing up Ana’s past experiences with domestic abuse.

After three months, Ana finally managed to get away by going to live with a different boyfriend.

However, Ana's involvement in Torres' life did not stop there. When the families of two more young Brazilian women went missing in September 2022, Ana felt compelled to take action.

At this time, Torres' life had become bigger. She was now married to a man named Zach, a 21-year-old she had met in California, and they were living in a large five-bedroom house in the outskirts of Austin, Texas.

Continuing the same strategy she used with Ana, Torres focused on her most loyal supporters, attempting to convince them to join her team. She had pledged to assist them in making their aspirations a reality by leveraging the personal information they had disclosed to her during their coaching sessions.

Desirrê Freitas and Letícia Maia, two Brazilian women living in Germany, were living with Torres when they disappeared, leading to an FBI-led search. Another Brazilian woman, known as Sol, was also brought into the situation.

Sharing on her social media accounts, Torres introduced her group of witches to her followers.

Picture credit, Jack Garland from BBC.

Torres convinced a few of her supporters to come live with her at her suburban residence in Austin, Texas.

The BBC found out that there were at least four additional women who were close to agreeing to go to Torres' house but ultimately decided not to.

A few women were too frightened to be featured in the BBC documentary because they feared online harassment and were still deeply affected by their past traumas. However, we have been able to confirm the accuracy of their stories by examining court records, text messages, bank statements, and Desirrê's own memoir titled "@Searching Desirrê", which was published by DISRUPTalks.

Desirrê mentioned that Torres purchased a flight for her from Germany, claiming to be in a suicidal state and needing Desirrê's assistance.

Torres is also said to have convinced Letícia, who was only 14 when she began attending life-coaching sessions with her, to relocate to the United States for an au pair program and subsequently abandon the program to reside and work with Torres.

Regarding Sol, she mentions that she decided to live with Torres after experiencing homelessness. She was then employed to conduct tarot readings and teach yoga classes.

However, it didn't take much time for the women to realize that their actual situation was far from the perfect scenario they had been told about.

In just a few weeks, Desirrê claims that Torres pushed her to start working at a nearby strip club. She was told that if she didn't do as she was told, she would have to pay back all the money Torres had spent on her, including flights, housing, furniture, and even the "witchcraft" that Torres had performed. Desirrê explains that she didn't have this money, and she also believed in the spiritual abilities that Torres said she possessed. This made her scared when Torres threatened to cast a curse on her for not obeying.

Desirrê reluctantly agreed to take on a job as a stripper.

The strip club manager, James, revealed to the BBC that she would put in very long shifts, working every day of the week.

Desirrê and Sol talk about the strict rules the women in the Austin mansion had to follow. They couldn't talk to each other, had to ask Torres for permission to leave their rooms or go to the bathroom, and had to give all their money to him right away.

Picture credit, Kat Torres

Torres on the left with Desirrê and Letícia on the right.

"It was really hard to escape the situation because she has control of your money," Sol explained to the BBC.

"I was really scared. I was worried that something bad might happen because she had all of my personal information - my passport, my driver's license."

However, Sol came to the realization that she urgently needed to find a way out after she overheard a conversation in which Torres was instructing another customer to engage in prostitution in Brazil as a form of punishment.

Sol managed to escape thanks to her former partner.

In the meantime, the firearms that Torres' husband had started showing up regularly on her Instagram stories, causing anxiety for the other women.

During that period, Desirrê claims that Torres attempted to convince her to switch from working at the strip club to becoming a prostitute. Despite his efforts, she declined his suggestion. The next day, Torres surprised her with a trip to a gun range.

Fearful, Desirrê admitted that she eventually succumbed to Torres' request.

"I had so many questions on my mind: 'Can I quit whenever I choose to?'" Desirrê states in her book.

"What if the condom ripped? Would I catch a disease? Is the person actually a police officer in disguise and could they arrest me? What if they harmed me?"

According to the women, if they didn't reach the earning targets set by Torres, which increased from $1,000 to $3,000 a day, they were not permitted to come back to the house that evening.

"I found myself sleeping outside a few times because I couldn't make it there," Desirrê mentions.

Bank records, revealed to the BBC, display Desirrê moving over $21,000 (£16,417) into Torres' bank account only in June and July 2022. She claims that she was compelled to give an even larger amount in physical cash.

Prostitution is against the law in Texas, and Desirrê claims that Torres would intimidate her by saying he would involve the authorities if she ever mentioned wanting to quit.

In September, the loved ones of Desirrê and Letícia in Brazil started using social media to try to locate them. They were growing more and more worried as months went by without any communication.

At that moment, they looked completely different. They had changed their brown hair to a very light blonde, similar to Torres'. Desirrê mentioned that at this stage, she had blocked all her phone contacts and followed the influencer's instructions without hesitation.

When the Instagram account @searchingDesirrê started to become popular, the story became a big focus in the news across Brazil. Desirrê's friends were concerned that something terrible had happened to her, and Letícia's family made desperate pleas for them to come back home safely.

Ana, who resided with Torres in 2019, became concerned when she saw the news stories. She had a strong feeling that Torres was seeing other women.

You can find additional resources and help for human trafficking and modern slavery through the BBC Action Line.

Ana, along with other previous customers, started reaching out to multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, trying to have the influencer put in jail. They had informed Torres to the US police five months prior, but claim that their complaints were not taken seriously.

Ana made a video to prove what happened. She was very upset and said, "this person is not safe and has threatened to hurt me." She showed the video to the BBC.

Next, the profiles of the women who were missing were found on escort and prostitution websites. This raised concerns about possible sexual exploitation, which were further confirmed by posts on social media.

Terrified by all the media focus, Torres and the women journeyed over 2,000 miles (3,219 km) from Texas to Maine. Desirrê and Letícia posted alarming videos on Instagram, stating they were not being held against their will and pleading for people to cease their search efforts.

However, a recording obtained by BBC News provides a glimpse into the true events occurring during this period. The US officials were already informed about the worries concerning the safety of the women. Homeland Security alerted a police officer who was able to use FaceTime to contact Torres and ensure the well-being of the women. Just before this conversation begins, Torres is heard speaking on the video.

"He will begin to inquire. Men can be tricky. He's like a detective, so watch out. If you speak, I'll have to ask you to leave. I might even yell."

In November 2022, the police were able to persuade Torres and the two other women to come in for a welfare check at the Franklin County Sheriff's Office in Maine.

Detective David Davol, who interviewed Torres, Desirrê, and Letícia, expressed to the BBC that he and his team were alarmed right away. They noticed several warning signs, such as a lack of trust in the police, being isolated, and their hesitancy to speak without Torres' approval.

Human traffickers are not always portrayed as they are in movies, where there is a large group of criminals who abduct people. It is much more frequent for traffickers to be someone you have confidence in.

In December 2022, the two women had safely arrived back in Brazil.

Det Davol believes that human trafficking is increasing based on what he has seen. The UN also supports this idea, stating that it is one of the crimes that is growing the fastest. It is estimated to bring in $150 billion in profits globally every year.

He thinks that social media provides a platform for trafficking to flourish, making it simpler for traffickers to locate and prepare victims.

In April of this year, our team received a special court order to conduct an exclusive interview with Torres in a prison in Brazil. This was the first time she had spoken to the media since she was arrested. At the time, she was still awaiting the outcome of a trial regarding her treatment of Desirrê.

Grinning, Torres came over to us with a peaceful and composed attitude.

Picture credit, Jack Garland/BBC

The BBC spoke with Kat Torres while she was incarcerated, awaiting the outcome of her trial.

She was firm in her belief that she was not guilty, refusing to admit that any women had ever resided with her or that she had ever forced anyone to engage in prostitution.

"I was watching people give testimony, and they were telling so many falsehoods. They were lying so much that eventually, I couldn't help but burst into laughter," she shared with us.

Some individuals claim I am a fraud guru, yet others argue that I pose a threat to society due to my ability to influence others with my words.

When we presented her with the proof that we personally witnessed, she turned even more aggressive, claiming that we were also being dishonest.

You have the power to believe whatever you choose to believe. I may say I am Jesus, but you have the choice to see me as Jesus or as the devil. It all comes down to what you decide to believe in your mind.

When she stood up to go back to her cell, she warned us before leaving. She said we would discover if she had powers or not. She pointed at me and declared, "I didn't like her."

The BBC has reported that Torres was recently given an eight-year prison sentence by a Brazilian judge for forcing Desirrê into human trafficking and slavery. The judge found that Torres had brought the young woman to the US with the intent of exploiting her for sex.

Over 20 women have come forward with reports of being tricked or taken advantage of by Torres. The BBC has interviewed some of these women, who are still receiving psychiatric help to cope with the aftermath of their interactions with her.

The lawyer representing Torres stated to the BBC that she has filed an appeal against her conviction and continues to assert her innocence.

An examination is currently being conducted into the accusations made by other women in Brazil.

Ana thinks that there may be more people who were also victims of Torres and will come forward after learning about his crimes. This is the first time Ana has talked about this publicly.

She wants people to understand that what Torres did was not just some minor issue on Instagram, but actually a serious crime.

At the end of her book, Desirrê looks back on the things she has gone through.

I am still in the process of healing and haven't fully recovered from the difficulties I faced this year. I was a victim of sexual exploitation, forced labor, and imprisonment.

I hope my experience can act as a cautionary tale.

Have you been impacted by the problems brought up in this article?