Keira Maguire, inset, was a member of her father Alistah Laishkochav's cult until the age of 5. Photo / Supplied
Keira Maguire, inset, was a member of her father Alistah Laishkochav's cult until the age of 5. Photo / Supplied
Australian Bachelor star Keira Maguire has opened up about her upbringing in a polygamist cult, revealing her biological father, a former police officer from New Zealand, had nine wives and 64 children.
Self-styled spiritual guru Alistah Laishkochav, who told his followers he was Jesus Christ, was the head of a polygamous cult, dailymail.com reported.
Laishkochav, who was born in Auckland, changed his name from Ian Lowe when he moved to Australia from New Zealand in 1969.
At 25, he married his first wife in a Mormon Church, where he was introduced to the concept of polygamy.
The polygamist drew his beliefs from sections of the Jewish, Muslim and Mormon religions.
The former policeman exerted his strict control over the group - of which Keira was a member until the age of 5 - from his Bells Beach compound in Victoria, Australia.
In 2000 he was found guilty of sexually penetrating a child under 10 as well as three counts of attempted penetration of a child and 16 counts of indecent assault.
Laishkochav, who was described by his harem of wives as "the controller", was sentenced to seven years and six months in jail. He reportedly died years later.
Another victim told the trial Laishkochav would slap his children and tell them they had the devil in them.
The cult leader was also convicted of throwing a plank of wood at the head of one of the children.
Maguire told Daily Mail Australia that she has never had a relationship with Laishkochav, and fled the cult when she was just 5 years old with her mother and some of her siblings.
"My mother removed my family from that environment when I was 5 years old, over 25 years ago," she said.
In 2000 Alistah Laishkochav was jailed for seven years and six months after being convicted of 20 child sex offences and one charge of reckless injury. Photo / Supplied
"I was brought up by my mother and grandmother in Brisbane in a loving, caring and compassionate household.
"I had a wonderful childhood and I am extremely grateful to both my mother and grandmother for the upbringing which they provided me and my siblings.
"Although I have since met and reunited with my family, I have never had a relationship with Alistah Laishkochav."
She concluded: "Alistah Laishkochav is not relevant to who I am nor does he define me."
As reported in Australia's Woman's Day, the reality TV starlet kept her dark past hidden from The Bachelor's producers and only told them that her "father died 30 years go".
The cult leader, circled, was also convicted of throwing a plank of wood at the head of one of the children. Photo / AP
Laishkochav, who was born in Auckland, changed his name from Ian Lowe when he moved to Australia from New Zealand in 1969. Photo / via A Current Affair
Up until the age of 5, Maguire had been living with her mother Michelle and their extended family in Bells Beach, Victoria, before moving to Byron Bay.
She said she was not happy with her villain status, but has decided to ignore it because she does not want to be a "miserable mess".
Maguire has ruffled feathers in the house following multiple confrontations with other contestants, including Eliza St John and Alex Nation.
But the outspoken real estate professional, who is friends with Aussie Bachelor Richie Strahan's cousin Lisa Clark, said she did not exaggerate her opinions for the camera.
"If anything I had a filter and tended not to say much because trust me, if I did actually say what I thought, s*** would be going down," she said.
Maguire said the constant steam of confrontations left her feeling drained during filming.
She revealed that she contemplated leaving the mansion "every day" and was so stressed that she could not sleep at night.
