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US ‘sexpert’ deported from Bali for hosting intimacy retreat on tourist visa
Immigration officials said the 44-year-old woman charged participants nearly US$7,000 to learn about sensuality and Kama Sutra techniques
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Published: 3:31pm, 23 Sep 2025Updated: 10:49pm, 23 Sep 2025
An American woman has been deported from Indonesia’s resort island of Bali for allegedly hosting a sex-themed retreat while on a tourist visa, in the latest example of authorities cracking down on foreign nationals flouting immigration rules.
Immigration officials said 44-year-old Jennelle Raynette Gordon, a self-styled “sexpert” from California, had been conducting commercial activities in violation of her visa conditions.
The event, dubbed the “Intimacy Mastery Retreat”, offered classes on Kama Sutra techniques, emotional closeness and sensuality, with participants reportedly paying nearly US$7,000 each.
Gordon entered Bali on September 4 as a tourist and was arrested a week later at the island’s airport as she was preparing to fly to Jakarta. She was deported on an EVA Air flight to Los Angeles via Taipei two days later and has been banned from re-entering Indonesia.
Authorities said her retreat ran from September 4 to 8 at a rented villa in Seminyak, a bustling tourist hub known for its luxury resorts and nightlife. According to The Jakarta Post, the event came to the attention of the immigration office after neighbours reported “suspicious activities” at the property.
“The total transaction value is still being investigated but it is clear that this activity is business oriented,” Ngurah Rai Immigration Office head Winarko said as quoted by local news outlet Social Expat.
Police also found sex toys at the villa, according to The US Sun newspaper. Such items, along with pornography and other adult materials, are banned in the Muslim-majority country.
Winarko said that Gordon was deported for violating Indonesian immigration regulations by conducting commercial activities while on a tourist visa. “Hosting commercial events is strictly prohibited under this visa category,” he explained in a statement released on Friday.
The deportation comes as Bali authorities step up enforcement of immigration and public conduct rules, which officials say are being tested by a surge in unruly tourists.
In August, authorities deployed an Immigration Patrol Task Force mandated to “suppress illegal acts” and address immigration violations by foreigners on the island.
The unit’s 100 or so uniformed officers, equipped with body cams and safety vests, have been tasked with patrolling 10 of the island’s tourist hotspots – including the surfers’ paradise areas of Canggu and Seminyak, the spiritual hub Ubud and the seafood town of Jimbaran.
A video posted on social media by the immigration authorities on August 22 showed the officers asking tourists for their passports on Nusa Dua beach and reminding them to have their papers with them at all times while exploring the island.
“Every foreign national in Indonesia is required to comply with immigration regulations and respect the country’s legal norms. We will take firm action against anyone who abuses their stay permit in Indonesia,” Winarko told The Jakarta Post.
Gordon has denied the allegations against her. In an interview with the Daily Mail published on Monday, she described the incident as a “witch hunt” and insisted the gathering had been a private celebration for her birthday on September 9.
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She said the event was spiritual in nature, involved just eight people, including herself and her partner, and featured performers and a priest. She claimed she had earned no money from it.
Gordon had previously spoken publicly about surviving human trafficking at age 19. In interviews with US outlets, she said she had faked her death to escape her abusers and fled to Thailand, where she discovered tantric therapy as a form of healing.
“I became obsessed with this methodology of holistic healing, as it is what helped me,” she told The Daily Titan, a student newspaper. She later founded a non-profit called Beyond Freedom to support survivors of trafficking.
“Coming full circle, I really wanted to be able to provide the same types of healing that I experienced for other survivors,” she was quoted as saying.
