John de Ruiter, a Canadian spiritual leader, was accused of sexually assaulting four women and has been released on bail for now, according to reports.
The 63-year-old is a leader of the Edmonton-based College of Integrated Philosophy spiritual group. His arrest occurred on January 21 for allegedly participating in sexual acts with four women from the group between 2017 and 2020, the Canadian broadcaster CBC said.
“It was reported that the defendant informed certain members of a female group that a spirit ordered him to engage in sexual activities with them, and that engaging in sexual activities with him will provide them with the opportunity to achieve a higher state of being or spiritual enlightenment.” Edmonton police said in a statement.
In response to de Ruiter’s indictment, Edmonton provincial judge Randal Brandt on Friday granted $30,000 cash bail on the condition that he not communicate with the alleged victims or their family. They also asked him to stay away from their schools, jobs and places of worship, the New York Post noted.
In addition, he was required not to leave Alberta and he may not be alone with any woman without supervision, with the exception of his wife and daughters.
Despite the accusations, lawyer Dino Bottos announced that the charges will be “strongly refuted” by De Ruiter, and that the case will focus on whether the alleged encounters were consensual, and whether the women hoped to improve spiritually with their help.
De Ruiter is a self-proclaimed leader of a “spiritual” group of more than 300 members, whose founding dates back almost 17 years.
The suspect was a shoemaker and Christian preacher. He began holding meetings at his home and founded his philosophy in 2006. He held regular spiritual retreats, as well as periodic meetings where he was known to stare at his followers for hours.
On his website, De Ruiter admitted to engaging in consensual sexual relations with women beyond the traditional realm of marriage.