The head of a religious sect in the US, which engaged in an armed standoff with the government, was known to have had sexual relations with the wives of other followers, despite instructing the men to refrain from sexual activity.

The tragic conclusion of David Koresh and the Branch Davidians remains one of the most stunning incidents in recent US history, as 86 individuals lost their lives in the inferno that engulfed the cult's compound.

Numerous children, along with law enforcement officials and other members of the religious group, lost their lives.

The root of the issue began when the US Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives agency obtained a search warrant to enter the Mount Carmel Center in Texas, which was situated in close proximity to the town of Waco.

The events that unfolded were later referred to as the Waco Siege, and a new documentary is retelling the story.

Vernon Wayne Howell, who later changed his name to David Koresh, was born in 1959 and had a challenging childhood, with a teenage mother, an absent father, and his mother's abusive partner.

He resided with his grandmother for a number of years and was enrolled in special education during his schooling.

At 19 years old, Koresh engaged in an unlawful relationship with a 15-year-old girl, and subsequently got expelled from his own church for asserting that God had instructed him to be with the pastor's daughter.

This prompted him to join the Branch Davidians, where he rapidly rose to the top of the group by asserting his ability to make prophecies.

One of his prophecies was that the apocalypse was imminent, and the cult needed to arm itself for a violent conflict by accumulating and producing weapons at their center.

Ironically, this prophecy turned out to be somewhat accurate.

During his tenure as the sect's leader, Koresh faced accusations of sexually abusing and committing statutory rape against numerous children, and also of engaging in 'marriages' with women who were already married.

Koresh prohibited husbands from engaging in sexual activity or masturbation, despite himself having sexual relations with their wives, and even inquired if they were envious of him.

Nevertheless, his followers regarded him as chosen by God and, as a result, permitted his actions to persist.

One of Koresh's disciples wrote in a book: "It was about not just the single women [among the Branch Davidians] being his, but all the wives, all the women."

Regarding the husbands, a former male follower recounted that Koresh informed them: "He gave me a personal Bible study."

"The feeling was so comforting, [like] my God speaking directly to me.

"Sex was just part of it.

"The sermon made every touch not feel like sex at all, just a culmination of my relationship with God that I'd had all my life."

As for the husbands, a former male follower said that Koresh had said: "We're all God's guinea pigs here. My lot is to procreate, yours is to tolerate. I'd swap with you any day."

However, he also said: "I get all the women. Aren't you all jealous?"

Ultimately, he fathered 17 offspring with 11 women within the group before a warrant was issued to search the Mount Carmel Center, leading to the arrest of Koresh and numerous other church members.

They resisted arrest with a substantial arsenal of weapons, initiating a 51-day standoff within the compound.

Ultimately, on February 28, 1993, the compound was engulfed in flames.

To this day, the exact details of the events are unclear, but numerous individuals, including 28 children and Koresh himself, were killed, with Koresh's death being attributed either to gunshot wounds or injuries sustained from the fire.

It remains one of the most tragic events in American history.

Starting March 22, the three-part documentary Waco: American Apocalypse will be available on Netflix.