Jania Ashlynn
Sarah Lawrence College is at the center of a true crime docuseries currently streaming on Hulu.
Videos by Rare
Stolen Youth: Inside The Cult At Sarah Lawrence covers the heinous sexual crimes of con artist and sexual abuser Lawrence “Larry” Ray.
The Infiltration
In September 2010, Ray’s daughter, Talia allowed him to move into her dorm after he was released from prison. He quickly made a name for himself on campus, showering the students with expensive meals and sharing stories about his former work as an operative for the CIA.
Larry likened himself to something of a mentor to his daughter’s friends. He was described as charming, clever, and a good listener, He would spend hours of his day cleaning the shared living space and calling everyone into the common areas for philosophical lectures and discussions.
The documentary goes into further detail of Lawrence’s various crimes against the students, outlining the escalation of the relationship between the 50-year-old and his ‘mentees.’ Ray turned the dorm into his own personal cult. Every encounter became mandatory and the tactics to maintain complete control became more inappropriate, dangerous, violent, and predatory.
The Aftermath
This series comes on the heels of Ray’s sentencing that took place on the 30th of last month. U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman sentenced Ray to 60 years in prison.
“Larry Ray is a monster,” the judge stated, “For years, he inflicted brutal and lifelong harm on innocent victims. Students who had their lives ahead of them. He groomed them and abused them into submission for his own gain. Through physical and psychological abuse, he took control over his victims’ minds and bodies and then extracted millions of dollars from them.”
With Larry imprisoned, the students have been able to separate themselves from his influence and return to some semblance of a normal life.
