Smallville's Allison Mack pleads guilty to racketeering charges in sex cult case
Smallvile actress Allison Mack has pleaded guilty to racketeering charges over her role in an alleged sex cult.
The actress said in court on Monday that she has "come to the conclusion that I must take full responsibility for my conduct,"Vulture reports. After previously entering a not guilty plea, she pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering and another count of racketeering conspiracy.
After arresting Mack in April 2018, the FBI alleged that she recruited women to what she said was a mentorship group under the organization NXIVM but which consisted of a sex trafficking cult in which "slaves," who were controlled by "masters," were "exploited, both sexually and for their labor." Mack allegedly "directly or implicitly required" women recruited for the organization to engage in sexual activity with its founder, Keith Raniere. The women were allegedly branded with Raniere's initials and required to provide compromising material that could be released for any reason, including if they left the organization. For her role in this, Mack was financially compensated, the FBI said.
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Mack in court admitted that she participated in the organization and instructed women to "perform services for me," also saying that the group was "designed to make them think they could suffer serious harm" if they refused, Page Six reports. She also said that she "believed Keith Raniere's intentions were to help people, and I was wrong." She faces up to 20 years in prison.
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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