SILVER SPRING, Md., Jan. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- People are often scared of what goes bump in the night. But what if the most dangerous monsters were the very same people your life depended on? Following extraordinary and terrifyingly true tales of psychological manipulation, Investigation Discovery's latest series DANGEROUS PERSUASIONS explores everyday people who were brainwashed into making remarkable sacrifices and committing unthinkable acts in the process. Told through intimate, first-person accounts, each hour-long episode details the captivating stories of people who were lured into a web of deceit and lost themselves along the way. False prophets, criminal masterminds, and sociopathic con-artists who prey on the innocent are just some of the Machiavellian architects at the center of these unbelievable and shocking true stories. DANGEROUS PERSUASIONS premieres Wednesday, January 16 at 10 PM E/P on Investigation Discovery.

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"There is nothing more frightening than the thought of people preying on your most valuable asset: your mind," said Henry Schleiff, general manager, Investigation Discovery. "DANGEROUS PERSUASIONS profiles average men and women who were coerced into disturbing situations, proving that – horrifyingly enough – almost anyone can find themselves vulnerable to manipulation."

The premiere episode of DANGEROUS PERSUASIONS features the story of former Scientologist Nancy Many. As an impressionable college student in 1971, Nancy joined the Church of Scientology in the hopes of making the world a better place. Unbeknownst to her, she would soon become an undercover agent, immersed in espionage activities, waging a secret war against the Church's greatest critics. It was only after joining the organizations' elite inner circle that Nancy finally understood the corruption at the center of Scientology's enormous empire. Little did she know the intimidation and interrogation she would have to endure when her allegiance to the Church came into question. Upon suffering an emotional breakdown, Nancy finally left the Church after living nearly 30 years of her life as a devout Scientologist.

DANGEROUS PERSUASIONS delves into what happens when a predator warps an individual's very own sense of self. From those seeking answers to life's largest questions to those who fell victim to a powerful stranger, the men and women featured in this new six-part series were all torn from their path in life, becoming trapped in abuse and deception instead. Other episodes include Christine Marie, a single mother who thought she had met the man of her dreams, only to realize that the self-proclaimed Mormon Prophet was anything but, coercing her into giving up her children and sleeping with other men to finance what he claimed was "God's work"; Colleen Stan, a 20-year-old woman who was abducted while hitchhiking and forced into sexual slavery for over seven years; Kerry Noble, a young father who lived happily with his wife in a small Christian community until charismatic community leader Jim Ellison steered him into a world of racism and mass murder; and Susan Hamlin, a wife and mother of four, whose manically controlling and violently abusive husband terrorized and brainwashed her into believing she was at the center of a satanic cult.

DANGEROUS PERSUASIONS is co-produced for Investigation Discovery by RAW and Entertainment One Television. For RAW, Louise Norman is executive producer with Michael Kot as executive producer for Entertainment One. For Investigation Discovery, Ron Simon is executive producer, Sara Kozak is senior vice president of production, Kevin Bennett is general manager, and Henry Schleiff is president and general manager.

About Investigation Discovery
Investigation Discovery (ID) is America's leading mystery-and-suspense network. From harrowing crimes and salacious scandals to the in-depth investigations and heart-breaking mysteries that result, ID challenges our everyday understanding of culture, society and the human condition. ID delivers the highest-quality programming to nearly 80 million U.S. households with viewer favorites that include On the Case with Paula Zahn; Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda; Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry?; Disappeared; Stalked: Someone's Watching; and Redrum. For more information, please visit InvestigationDiscovery.com, facebook.com/InvestigationDiscovery, or twitter.com/DiscoveryID. Investigation Discovery is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.8 billion cumulative subscribers in 209 countries and territories.

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SOURCE Investigation Discovery