A HOLLYWOOD actress is among 70 to 80 women “trapped" in a terrifying secret cult in which members are blackmailed, branded and beaten with paddles, according to the group’s former publicist.

Frank Parlato claims the women feel they cannot leave the cult - after leaders allegedly brainwashed them into handing over nude photos and confessions as “collateral" to prove their lifelong loyalty to the group.

The Hollywood actress has since been identified - read our latest story here.

8 This is the brand one of the cult members claims she was given before escaping Credit: Frank Report

It comes just days after Dynasty actress Catherine Oxenberg, who claims the group has brainwashed her young daughter India, met with prosecutors in New York and presented evidence against alleged cult leader Keith Raniere, Page Six reported.

Parlato, who was the first to make claims about the cult's allegedly sordid activities on his website The Frank Report, told Sun Online that the women - apparently including India - are terrified to break free from the cult fearing their secrets will be made public if they ever leave.

NXIVM claims to be a self-help group but Parlato says there is a secret dark side to the organisation.

The women’s-only group led by Raniere is known as 'DOS', which Parlato says stands for “dominus obsequious sororium" - Latin for “master over the slave women”.

He claims that to join, women are brainwashed into handing over blackmail-worthy material such as pornographic pictures or financial information.

Once they are a member - or “slave” - they are allegedly encouraged to recruit new women into their “slave pods”, stop dating, and be on call 24 hours a day to their “master”.

If they don’t recruit enough "slaves" or respond to their “masters” fast enough, they're beaten with paddles, Parlato claims.

8 Dynasty star Catherine Oxenberg fears her daughter has been 'brainwashed' by the alleged cult Credit: Rex Features

In one shocking text seen by Sun Online, a desperate member writes: “If I suffer, cry or have any adverse reaction to being hit I get hit more.”

New members are later taken by surprise, told to strip naked and then forcibly branded, according to Parlato.

They allegedly have to follow strict 500 to 800 calorie a day diets because leader Raniere prefers skinny women and tells his followers that fat “interferes” with his energy levels.

The controversial leader is also said to have a harem of women who willingly sleep with him, believing that they will “be healed” by having sex with the 57-year-old - who they apparently call “Vanguard”.

8 Founder Keith Rainere, pictured, is alleged to have had sex with members and to be aware of the brandings

Parlato said: “The worrying part of all this is that there are still women captured in this cult maintaining 500 to 800 calories a day diets, sleep deprived, brainwashed and with the leader of the cult holding blackmail-worthy material in his possession which he has threatened to release if they leave the cult.

“I have spoken to about a dozen escaped members.

“I have seen many texts including correspondence between a ‘master’ and a ‘slave’.

8 Actress Catherine Oxenberg has reportedly met with prosecutors in New York in a bid to 'save' her daughter India, above Credit: Facebook

“I believe there are currently 70 or 80 women in the cult now - but not all of them have been branded.

"You don’t get branded right away. The branding is done by surprise and without disclosure.

“You are told you are going to get a tiny tattoo and you end up being pinned down, no anesthesia, while a doctor takes a hot iron and slowly brands you with about 50 to 100 strokes of this two inch by two inch brand.

“It looks like a symbol but it is actually Raniere’s initials - KR and the actress’s.”

8 The group's former publicist claims the brands include Keith Raniere's initials and the actress's Credit: Frank Report

According to Parlato, the Emmy-winning Hollywood actress - who Sun Online has decided not to name for legal reasons - is a key recruiter to the cult and has several “slave pods” of around six women each.

He says all of the women go through a ranking system where they earn colours and stripes depending on how many "slaves" they recruit and how well they understand the teachings.

They apparently have to be on call to their “master” 24 hours a day and are set twisted tasks - with one woman allegedly telling Parlato she'd been ordered to seduce a child molester.

8 Raniere allegedly tells his followers that fat interferes with his 'energy' Credit: YouTube

Parlato, who worked as NXIVM’s publicist for less a year in 2007, said Raniere uses the self help courses to recruit rich, famous or good-looking women to his inner circle.

He claims to have joined the company without knowing what allegedly goes on behind the scenes.

“If it was just Raniere by himself he would persuade almost no one but he has all these women to induct and hypnotize new women - so you are not just indoctrinated by him but a group of other women - one of them is a well known TV actress so she has influence over them," Parlato said.

“They induct the women into this secret group by telling them it is an all women’s group - they don’t tell the women that Raniere is actually in charge.

“It is sold as something intriguing - an all women’s empowerment group where they would receive training and coaching and do powerful things in the world - like the Masons," he added.

“Then they are told: ‘Give us a nude photograph - come on it’s only us girls’.

8 India Oxenberg is feared to be one of 70 to 80 women allegedly 'trapped' in the so-called cult Credit: Facebook

“Once they are in they have to give even more 'collateral' to officially join, Parlato said.

“The collateral was originally uploaded on a dropbox but there is also physical box of evidence," he added.

“It includes graphic nude photographs, audio and video confessions of crimes - either fabricated or not, transmittal of assets to be held by the cult, bank account numbers and cheques written to Raniere that will be cashed if people ever leave the cult or reveal its secret practices.

“You are then given certain obligations but it becomes increasingly harrowing and demanding.”

8 Oxenberg played the character Amanda Carrington on the 1980s TV soap Dynasty Credit: Alamy

Parlato says he was fired by Raniere when he started probing into NXIVM's financial affairs - and is currently still embroiled in a legal battle with the 57-year-old.

Sun Online reached out to Raniere and the Hollywood actress but has received no comment.

In an earlier statement NXIVM said: "The allegations relayed in the story are built upon sources, some of which are under criminal investigation or already indicted, who act as a coordinated group.”

They added: "We will explore any and all legal remedies to correct these lies."