NXIVM sex cult case: Allison Mack asks court to let her pursue acting while she awaits trial
'Smallville' actress Allison Mack seems to have decided to revive her career. E! News reported that the actress who pled not guilty to sex trafficking charges brought against her wants to modify the current conditions of her release. Her attorneys said that "the instant charges have deprived her of pursuing her acting career," but she is "nevertheless is interested in contributing to society." The report said that Mack had been put in her parent's house in Los Alamitos, California after she was released on $5 million bond and placed under GPS location monitoring. The last time Mack was on screen was in 2015.
The court papers reportedly said, "Ms. Mack has demonstrated for more than three months her ability to adhere to and abide by the rulings of this Court and the directives of Pretrial Services. The proposed modifications will allow Ms. Mack to contribute to society and her own self-betterment while she awaits the resolution of the criminal charges," they continued. "These activities not only will allow Ms. Mack to use her time productively while awaiting trial but will also assist with her reintegration into society if she is vindicated of the charges or even in the unlikely event that she is convicted after trial."
The star had been allegedly involved in what has come to be known as a cult run by Keith Reniere. Called NXIVM, the organization is said to have been involved in sex trafficking and recruiting women as sex slaves under the guise of women's self-help. The group is notoriously known to have branded the abdomen of the members with their logo. There have been theories that suggested that the logo was an anagram of the initials of Keith and Allison. The group is also said to have collected nudes and incriminating letters written by these members so that they would not be able to retrace their steps out of NXIVM.
The former television star and the NXIVM leader Keith Raniere were arrested in April with charges involving sex trafficking, identity theft, extortion, forced labor, money laundering, wire fraud and obstruction of justice.
According to prosecutors, after she recruited women to join the organization, she used tactics such as blackmail to force them into engaging in sexual activity with Raniere against their wishes and enslaved them to do menial tasks, for which Raniere allegedly paid Mack. Mack is said to be second-in-command of NXIVM after Raniere.
Mack's first major television role was an episode of the WB series '7th Heaven', in which she gained attention playing a teenager who cut herself. In 2000, she co-starred in the short-lived series 'Opposite Sex'. In October 2001, Mack began starring as Chloe Sullivan in the WB/CW hit series 'Smallville'. Chloe, an original character created solely for the show, was eventually introduced into DC Comics in 2010. Mack earned several awards and nominations for her portrayal of Chloe including the Teen Choice Award for Best Sidekick in 2006 and 2007.