Isabella Pollok, once manipulated by Larry Ray, sentenced for involvement in money laundering and sex trafficking crimes.

Isabella Pollok, a former member of the notorious Sarah Lawrence sex cult, has been sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for her role in a money laundering scheme that involved forcing a victim into prostitution. Pollok, 31, pleaded guilty in September to a single charge related to her participation in the operation masterminded by Larry Ray, a man who subjected several students at the prestigious New York college to years of psychological and sexual abuse.

In a Manhattan federal courtroom on Wednesday, US District Court Judge Lewis Liman addressed Pollok’s involvement in the scheme, describing it as a “sophisticated” and “sadistic” act that caused significant harm to the victims. “Your crime was an extremely serious one,” Judge Liman stated, emphasising the long-lasting damage done to the individuals affected by Ray’s abuse. “It lasted a long time. It caused immense harm to its victims, destroying lives in the process.”

Pollok, tearfully apologising during the hearing, admitted the psychological control Ray had over her, saying she would “live with the guilt forever.” Her relationship with Ray began when she became close friends with his daughter, Talia Ray, in 2010. That year, Larry Ray moved into a communal dorm room at Sarah Lawrence, where he began manipulating and controlling the students. He convinced them he was a guru and claimed they owed him repayment for perceived wrongdoings.

Over the course of a decade, Ray employed a combination of violence, sexual coercion, and psychological abuse to maintain control over his victims. He isolated the students from their families, convincing them that they were “broken” and needed his guidance to be fixed. Pollok was both a victim and a participant in Ray’s crimes, which included sex trafficking and forced labour.

Pollok’s involvement in the criminal enterprise included laundering $2.5 million in trafficking proceeds, after Ray coerced former student Claudia Durey into prostitution. She was also present during a brutal incident in which Ray tortured Durey in a Manhattan hotel room, an act that was recorded and later played at Ray’s trial.

Ray, who was sentenced to 60 years in prison for his crimes in January, used Pollok to facilitate his trafficking activities, with prosecutors describing her as both a “lieutenant” and a victim of Ray’s manipulation. Despite her defence attorney’s argument that she had been “brainwashed” by Ray and should avoid a custodial sentence, Pollok was sentenced to 4.5 years behind bars. She will also face three years of supervised release following her release from prison.

The sentence reflects the serious nature of Pollok’s crimes, but also acknowledges her victimisation under Ray’s influence, as the cult leader manipulated his followers into participating in horrific acts.