Former members describe sadistic sexual predator, who says he's "God"

December 3, 2002
By Rick Ross

Former college tennis star Mark Miller once believed a fat man from Brooklyn was "God." He started his journey with "God" a.k.a. Franklin Jones/ "Da Free John" in 1976. Jones is a self-proclaimed "avatar" "God" in human form.

Miller's guru led his following from an old hot springs near Clear Lake, in California. Jones also attracted a former cheerleader and Playboy centerfold and then made her one of his nine wives.

Jones ended up with 1,000 followers. Most lived in Northern California, but some were scattered around the world in Europe, Australia and Hawaii.

However, "God" got sued. A former member of what has come to be largely known as a "cult," decided to litigate against her former "Lord."

Frank's former followers said he was a drunk, sexually promiscuous and self indulgent. And it seems "God" loves caviar and "naughty lingerie" too. Former members of the guru group said Jones was psychologically and physically abusive.

Beverly O'Mahony charged Frank Jones with ordering her husband to sexually abuse her.

She also claimed prolonged physical and sexual abuses, confinement, degrading acts, inadequate diet and surrendering of her children to Jones. Nine leaders and her husband were named as defendants within the lawsuit O'Mahony filed.

Representatives of Jones have admitted that the group did "sexual experimentation" and held wild parties during the 70s.

One woman who spent six months at Jones' house said, "We were forced to drink large quantities of beer, and after the party, when everybody was really swacked he would talk about himself. Afterwards, there would usually be some kind of sexual event usually other people performing and him watching. I was told I was a lesbian. I was accused of being so unattractive that nobody would ever want to sleep with me. Night after night, he would go on about how ugly one of his wives was, how she looked as though she had been run over by a track shoe, and she was a beautiful woman."

The woman added, "I was too chicken to confront him. I was still under his spell," Eventually though she did leave after she was sexually assaulted in front of the group by order of Frank Jones.

For three months after returning to San Francisco, two former members said they were both like zombies. One said she entered into therapy to deal with some of the humiliation and abuse that she suffered.

Jones reportedly expects his devotees to tithe 10% to 15% percent of their earnings to support him. He has at times lived reclusively on a remote private island in Fiji with a small core group of followers.

Mark Miller said that after two nights of drinking and drugs he was crying and staring at the moon. He was pressured to give up his girlfriend to become the ninth wife of Jones. At the time he felt it was his "spiritual obligation" to give her up.

Miller was told that the path to enlightenment required the destruction of his"ego." Giving up his girlfriend was supposedly somehow part of his spiritual journey and the guru would then help him break down his ego.

He sold his car to buy tennis racquets and a warm up suits for the pudgy guru and gave him free lessons.

Miller meditated for hours every day, staring at a photo of Jones. He gave up college and ended up marrying one of the guru's former lovers. He then became little more than a worker drone, serving Jones.

Another former member told the press that devotees made porno for their master.

A basement room became a studio for skin flicks. She said, "I heard him telling men and women go downstairs and do it, and I saw the women crying hysterically afterwards. Everything that was done was interpreted a lesson about your own lack of spirituality," she said.

The same woman also told a reporter that once she saw Jones wife Nina come out of his house with hair ripped off her head and a black eye.

"At the time, I was frightened and confused, and only later did I learn what the brainwashing process entailed," she said. "Twelve to 16 hours of my day were spent surrounded by cult members. You didn't watch TV or read magazines. It closes off your circuits to the rational process. Most members don't know anything about the inner violence of the innermost circle."

Note: This article is largely based upon"Sex Slave Sues Guru; Pacific Isle Orgies Charged," San Francisco Chronicle, April 3, 1985 by Katy Butler