Woman recalls falling for Charles Manson at age 14: 'He made you feel really special'

— -- Dianne Lake, the youngest member of the so-called "Manson family" is breaking her silence on her personal relationship with convicted mass murderer Charles Manson.

Lake, now 64, revealed that she had sex with Manson as a teenager, even describing him as "attractive" and "loving."

"He made you feel like you were his one and only love, you know?" Lake told "Good Morning America" co-anchor Amy Robach. "And yes, there were other girls, but we all shared him. He made you feel really special, and specially loved."

In her new memoir, "Member of the Family," Lake opens up about her years with Manson and how she said she became manipulated by the former cult leader.

Lake, now a retired special-education teacher and mother of three, said she first met Manson at a party.

Within hours, Lake said she and a 34-year-old Manson slept together.

"It seemed very natural and loving and kind of like a game," she said. "He was cute, impish. You know, fun."

Part of the family

Lake admitted she fell in love with Manson and for two years lived with people who would eventually become infamous killers: Patricia Krenwinkel, Leslie Van Houten, Susan Atkins and Tex Watson.

"Patty Krenwinkel was just the sweetest--humble, loving woman," Lake said. "Leslie was, like, your quintessential prom queen...even though I hadn't been to high school yet, that's how she came off to me. We weren't really that close because she just came from a whole different value set than I had."

"[Tex Watson] was more of a big brother to me," she added. "Taught me how to drive...he looked out after me."

Lake remembered how Manson's talk of love and peace quickly turned dark. Lake claims she would go on to endure years of psychological control and physical and sexual abuse. The alleged abuse was a different side of Manson than Lake said she saw at their first meeting.

Manson then began speaking to the family about “Helter Skelter,” or a race war.

Manson allegedly told the family that the race war was near and handed out knives to each of the members, Lake said.

Lake said the family members would head out on missions where they sneaked into private homes and rearranged furniture just to "mess" with people's minds.

Manson's plan to kill

Lake said she knew nothing of the plan to kill. Yet over the course of two days in August of 1969, seven people, including Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, Stephen Parent, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, Jay Sebring and actress Sharon Tate were all brutally murdered.

"What I remember is that they gave me the gory details with a certain amount of glee or almost like bragging, which just made me feel even worse," Lake recalled. "It was, like, 'What? How could you do that?'"

Two months after the murders, Lake was arrested.

"We were arrested in October and it wasn't until December that I finally felt comfortable enough before the grand jury to tell them, 'I'm Dianne Lake. I'm 16 and I want my mommy.'"

Lake ultimately testified against Manson in court.

"I was asked did I love him? And I said, 'Yes,' or, 'I guess so,'" Lake recalled. "And he pipes up, 'Don't put it all on Mr. Manson. She loved everybody.' And so, you know, it was all about him. And I think that really struck me as the truth."

Manson, Tex Watson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten were all convicted and given the death penalty, which was later commuted to life in prison.

Van Houten was granted parole in September. Unless California's governor intervenes, she will be released.

"I'm not afraid for myself if she is granted or approved for parole," Lake said. "I feel they originally all had the death penalty, and it's between them and God at this point."

Lake said it was a relief to finally share her story after 50 years.

"It's taken me this long really to get to the point where I can admit or have been able to realize that I really was a victim," she said. "I feel very unburdened and I feel untethered from the shame of being associated with this person who has become the icon of evil."

Watch more of Amy Robach’s interview with Dianne Lake on “Nightline” tonight.