Inside the bizarre Ideal Human Environment cult headed by a leader ‘who insists he’s called Taipan’

The bizarre inner-workings of a cult headed by a self-proclaimed ‘happiness guru’ who demanded his followers call him ‘Taipan’ have been revealed in court.

Founder of the Ideal Human Environment (IHE) group, James Gino Salerno, is on trial in Adelaide District Court facing nine counts of unlawful sexual intercourse. 

From 2001 to 2008, he and his ‘family’ lived in Arbury Park mansion in the Adelaide hills, which was the childhood home of former Liberal leader Alexander Downer.

The court was told this week Salerno once ordered every man in IHE to wrestle naked in front of him, before giving all of the women the same order, ABC reported.  

Prosecutor Patrick Hill told the court the group were encouraged to ‘praise Taipan’ and would hold daily meetings discussing the ‘ideal human environment’.  

Mr Hill said each child member was given rankings and were demanded to obey their higher-ranked peers.

‘A higher-ranked child would complain of disobedience on the part of a lower-ranked child who did not follow one of his or her orders and the lower-ranked child would then be administered punishment,’ he said, according to the broadcaster. 

Punishments for breaking family rules included being treated like a slave, being forced to sleep outdoors or not being allowed any food, the court was told. 

From 2001 to 2008, Salerno and his ‘family’ lived in Arbury Park mansion in the Adelaide hills, which was the childhood home of former Liberal leader Alexander Downer (pictured)

Women in the group were the sole carers of children and were tasked with tending to Salerno’s every request, Mr Hill told the court.     

‘This included caring for his hands and feet by these manicures and pedicures, running him a bath, towel drying him afterwards, brushing his hair, doing his laundry and also by giving him hand and leg massages,’ he said.

The court was told girls as young as 13 were encouraged by older women to be a ‘personal server’ to Salerno – and that members donated their full incomes to IHE. 

The group moved from the South Australian home to a large property (pictured) in Kununurra in Western Australia’s Kimberley region

The group moved from the South Australian home to a large property in Kununurra in Western Australia’s Kimberley region in 2008. 

‘Here we have ­created the world’s first model of the ideal human environment,’ Salerno told a reporter at The Australian in 2015.

‘No one has ever told this story – you will be famous if you do it.’ 

James Gino Salerno pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against him and strongly denies any wrongdoing.

His trial continues. 

‘Here we have ­created the world’s first model of the ideal human environment,’ Salerno told a reporter at the Kununurra property (pictured) in 2015