'Smallville' actress Allison Mack gets 3 years in prison in NXIVM sex slave case

NEW YORK - A federal judge in Brooklyn on Wednesday sentenced actor Allison Mack to three years in prison for her involvement in the notorious NXIVM sex slave case. The sentence also imposes a $20,000 fine and 1,000 hours of community service.

Mack — best known for her role as a young Superman’s close friend on the series "Smallville" — had previously pleaded guilty to charges for her role in manipulating women into becoming sex slaves for Keith Raniere, the so-called spiritual leader of the cult-like group. She agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and testify against her former mentor.

Mack spoke at her sentencing, saying that she has renounced Raniere and is filled with "remorse and guilt."

Get your top stories delivered daily! Sign up for FOX 11’s Fast 5 newsletter. And, get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. Download for iOS or Android.

"I made choices I will forever regret," she said, adding that she apologizes to the victims.

"From the deepest part of my heart and soul, I am sorry," Mack said.

RELATED: Feds: 'Smallville' actress Allison Mack recruited sex slaves for cult

Last week, she filed a letter with the court saying that devoting herself to Raniere, the self-improvement guru, was the "biggest mistake and greatest regret of my life."

"I am sorry to those of you that I brought into NXIVM," she wrote. "I am sorry I ever exposed you to the nefarious and emotionally abusive schemes of a twisted man."

She reiterated her apologies to the victims in court on Wednesday: "From the deepest part of my heart and soul, I am sorry."

Under advisory sentencing guidelines, Mack would face between 14 and 17 1/2 years behind bars, but her defense team argued in court papers that probation or a sentence to home confinement is more appropriate. Prosecutors had agreed that any prison term should be below the guidelines range because of her cooperation.

"The NXIVM saga and the story of Ms. Mack’s descent have been a tragedy for all involved. But that need not, and should not, be the end of the story for Allison Mack," her lawyers wrote in court papers.

Mack, 38, was once part of the inner circle of Raniere, whose group attracted millionaires and actors among its adherents. Prosecutors said she became a "master" for "slaves" she ordered "to perform labor, take nude photographs, and in some cases, to engage in sex acts with Raniere."

As authorities closed in on Raniere, he fled to Mexico with Mack and others to try to reconstitute the group there. He was arrested and sent to the United States in March 2018; Mack was arrested a few days later.

"Ms. Mack now understands that this was the best thing that could have happened to her at that time," the defense papers said.

Mack provided information to prosecutors about how Raniere encouraged "the use of demeaning and derogatory language, including racial slurs, to humiliate ‘slaves,’" the government papers said. More importantly, she provided a recording of a conversation she had with Raniere about the branding, they added.

The branding should involve "a vulnerable position type of a thing" with "hands probably above the head being held, almost like being tied down, like sacrificial, whatever," Raniere told her. The women, he added, "should say, ‘Please brand me. It would be an honor.’ Or something like that."

Raniere was sentenced last year to 120 years in prison for his conviction on sex-trafficking charges.

This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Tune in to FOX 11 Los Angeles for the latest Southern California news.