Domestic Slavery

1:20-cr-00110, (S.D.N.Y.) (2023)

In 2023, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York sentenced Larry Ray, the leader of a sex cult known as The Sara Project, to 60 years in prison. Ray was convicted of racketeering, sex trafficking, and forced labor.

The Sara Project was a cult that Ray founded in the early 2000s. Ray attracted young women, primarily from wealthy families, to the cult by promising them mentorship and self-improvement. However, Ray soon began to isolate and control his followers, subjecting them to physical and emotional abuse. He also forced them to work without pay and to engage in sexual activities with him.

The court found that Ray had created a "pyramid scheme" in which he exploited his followers' vulnerabilities. The court also found that Ray had used physical and emotional abuse to control his followers. Ray was sentenced to 60 years in prison. He was also ordered to pay $175 million in restitution to his victims. The United States v. Larry Ray case is a significant victory for the fight against domestic slavery. The case highlights the devastating impact that domestic slavery can have on victims. It also demonstrates the importance of holding abusers accountable for their crimes.

Nestlé USA, Inc. v. Doe‍

The Supreme Court reversed a lower court ruling that had allowed six men to sue Nestle USA and Cargill over claims they were trafficked as child slaves to farms in the West African nation of Ivory Coast that supply cocoa to the two giant food companies. Thomas said the six plaintiffs, who are from the nation of Mali, improperly sought to sue under the Alien Tort Statute for conduct that occurred outside the United States. Thomas also said that the plaintiffs had failed to establish that the conduct relevant to the ATS “occurred in the United States ... even if other conduct occurred abroad.”