Sarah Lawrence sex cult suspect collapses in court again as he is accused of grooming student prostitute
Claudia Drury accused her college friend’s dad of bullying her into sex with strangers
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Accused cult leader Larry Ray allegedly groomed a Sarah Lawrence College student into violent sex acts and prostitution, a court heard.
The trial of a father accused of running a sex cult out of his daughter’s dorm room was delayed after Mr Ray collapsed in court for a second time.
He was taken out of a Manhattan federal court on a stretcher after suffering a medical emergency on Tuesday, a week after he first collapsed during testimony.
It came after the jury heard from Claudia Drury, 31, who alleged the 62-year-old bullied her into a life of prostitution, sexual challenges and violent bondage and sado-masochism.
She and other students were allegedly worn down through psychological abuse as Mr Ray instilled a sense of self-loathing and doom, the court heard.
They met through Mr Ray’s daughter, Talia Ray, and allegedly fell under his influence at the Daniel Barban Levin dorm at the liberal arts college north of New York.
Students have accused Mr Ray of coercing false confessions of wrongdoing that he used to coerce them into sexual servitude.
Ms Drury told the court that she began working at a sex club on his advice, where she said he was severely physically abused. In one BDSM sex act at the club, Ms Drury testified a club manager used a knife to make cuts several inches long over her body.
She said she also followed Mr Ray’s suggestions to sexual liberation by sleeping with strangers in Central Park and performing a sex act on a taxi driver instead of payment.
She allegedly began prostitution as another step towards sexual liberation and at one point was servicing up to five men a day, the court heard.
Mr Ray has pleaded not guilty to 17 various counts of racketeering, sex trafficking and conspiracy.
The trial continues.