(Montreal) Canadian John de Ruiter, self-proclaimed leader of a millionaire spiritual community in western Canada, has been charged with several sexual assaults on followers, police said.
The 63-year-old was arrested and charged on Saturday for four assaults that occurred between 2017 and 2020, according to a statement from police in Edmonton, Alta. released this week.
“The accused informed certain female members of the group that a spirit had ordered him to have sexual relations with them,” detailed the police.
He would have explained to them that by having sex with him, they could reach “spiritual enlightenment”, can we still read in the press release.
The police believe that there could be other victims and encourage them to come and file a complaint.
Contacted by AFP, John de Ruiter’s entourage did not immediately comment. But according to John de Ruiter’s spokeswoman, Zaba Walker, quoted by the BBC, the latter intends to “vigorously challenge these accusations in court”.
Between 2007 and 2021, he led an organization called College of Integrated Philosophy or Oasis Group. Since then, John de Ruiter, who became famous for his piercing gaze that he uses to stare at his followers for long minutes, continues to offer meetings to the faithful in Edmonton, including “spiritual retreats”.
Already pinned by an article from Globe and Mail in 2017 for his numerous sexual relations with the faithful, the latter indicated on his site “not to use sex as a means of control or submission over anyone”.