American sex expert deported from Indonesia after Kama Sutra demonstrations accusations

An American intimacy expert was deported from Indonesia two days after she was arrested in Jakarta on Sept. 16 while accompanying her 10-year-old son, with authorities saying the case centered on activities at a villa in Seminyak, Bali. Indonesian immigration officials said Gordon violated her stay permit by hosting a five-day paid event described as an “Intimacy Mastery Retreat” that reportedly included lessons on the Kama Sutra, a text commonly associated with sexuality and emotional fulfillment. The course was advertised for about $7,000 per participant. Officials said evidence at the scene included sex toys found at the villa.

Gordon has denied the allegations, telling the Daily Mail that she fell victim to a “witch hunt” and that she was not in Indonesia to teach a class. She said she was in the country to celebrate her birthday and to attend her business partner’s book launch, and that only eight people, including herself and her partner, were staying at the villa in what she described as a spiritual gathering. Gordon asserted she did not profit from the event and that any money paid went toward hosting the gathering rather than personal gain.

According to Gordon, her adventure began with a morning encounter at an airport around 5:30 a.m., when three men asked for an interview. She said she was subsequently taken to an immigration center, where a large woman in Muslim garb demanded her passport and rummaged through her belongings, pushing her multiple times. Gordon said she asked for a supervisor but no one came. She described being separated from her son when she attempted to contact the embassy, and that after a delay, she and her son were reunited only to be dragged away again by four women who cut the phone call short. The immigration officers reportedly held their passports for two days as they arranged for their return to the United States, and Gordon claimed she was pressured to delete any videos she had captured at the office.

The episode has generated competing accounts. A report in The Sun claimed Gordon was deported from Malaysia amid accusations by Muslim officials that she conducted Kama Sutra demonstrations, a claim that contrasts with the Indonesian arrest narrative and with other reporting. The Daily Mail’s coverage emphasizes the Jakarta arrest and Bali villa setting, while noting the broader controversy surrounding her stated purpose in Indonesia. Indonesian immigration authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The case underscores broader tensions surrounding Western sex-education figures operating in Southeast Asia, where local norms and regulatory frameworks can differ markedly from those in the United States. Gordon’s supporters have described the incident as a targeted attack on an advocate of sexual wellness, while authorities have pointed to visa violations and unlicensed proselytizing as the basis for action. As of now, there is no public indication of any criminal charges beyond the immigration-deportation process, and officials have not released a formal statement detailing the evidence collected at the villa or the specific visa provisions cited in the case.