Former Brazilian model and Instagram influencer Kat Torres has been sentenced to eight years in prison in the United States for human trafficking and enslaving her followers. The ex-model, who once graced the runways and social media feeds, was convicted of luring women under pretenses and coercing them into sex work.

Torres, who gained fame and a substantial following on Instagram, used her influence to recruit women by promising them glamorous careers and opportunities. Several followers of Torres claimed that they were trafficked and were forced into sex work. One of the women named Ana, who was trafficked by her, told BBC that she was impressed by her struggle story. Ana was asked to move to New York with Torres in 2019 to serve as her live-in assistant and will be paid $2000 per month. But as soon as she went there, she got a reality check and realized that she was trafficked by Torres. Ana was able to escape from there with the help of her boyfriend.

Desirrê Freitas, another victim, shared her harrowing experience, revealing that Torres pressured her into working at a strip club and later forced her into prostitution by leveraging threats and psychological manipulation.

The case unraveled further as more women came forward, leading to a concerted effort by their families and friends to launch social media campaigns and involve law enforcement. This public pressure eventually led to Torres' arrest and the rescue of her victims