Edmonton spiritual leader charged with sexual assault

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John de Ruiter, a spiritual leader known for his piercing stare and who calls himself the ‘embodiment of truth’ was arrested and charged with four counts of sexual assault earlier this month. He’s now out on bail and intends to fight the charges.

De Ruiter is a leader of a multimillion dollar organization called The College of Integrated Philosophy. It’s based in Edmonton but has followers all over the world. Some have described the group as a cult.

The Globe’s Jana Pruden has been investigating the group for years. She has spoken to former members and attended a meeting to learn more about de Ruiter’s teachings. She’s on the show to explain what she’s learned about this tight-knit community and what these charges could mean for its future.

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