Keith Raniere, leader of the New York sex trafficking cult NXIVM, has been sentenced to 120 years in prison. On Tuesday, October 27th, a jury found Raniere guilty of federal crimes including racketeering, sex trafficking and other charges.
Raniere was convicted last year on charges of running the “cult-like” group NXIVM, a purported self-improvement organization that ran courses popular amongst the Hollywood and business circles.
Beneath the masquerade of self-help was a dark underbelly where women were coerced into becoming “sexual slaves,” branded with his initials and kept on starvation diets.
A core focus of the trial was the investigation into a secret, women-only subgroup inside the company, called The Vow or D.O.S. The group, sold under the guise of female empowerment, consisted of circles led by a “master” who recruited “slaves.”
Women who were recruited were typically required to entrust “collateral” — nude photographs, incriminating information — with the threat of it being publicly released if they were to disclose the existence of The Vow.
During Mr Raniere’s trial in May 2019, a witness and former member of the cult, Lauren Salzman, detailed the harrowing branding ceremony of The Vow.
Salzman was held down on a massage table whilst the initials of Keith Raniere were etched into an area near her him using a cauterized pen. “Master, please brand me, it would be an honour, an honour I want to wear for the rest of my life.”
Raniere’s sentence was imposed by US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis in New York, following a hearing that saw 15 former NXIVM members spoke out against Raniere. The victims detailed the destructive impact that Raniere had on their lives.
The first victim to speak out was a woman who identified only as a Camila. Camila recalled the 12-year relationship she had with Raniere that began when she was 15 and he was 45. Detailing that over the course of their relationship, Raniere expected her to be sexually available at all hours, demanded she weigh less than 100 pounds and forced her to get an abortion.
“I want to move on, but he has damaged me in so many ways,” Camila said.
A jury convicted Keith Raniere last June on charges of racketeering, conspiracy, sex trafficking, possession of child pornography and other crimes, brought on by testimonies from former NXIVM members. Nude photos Raniere kept of Camila were the foundation of the child pornography charge.
Raniere has accused Judge Garaufis of corruption and has demanded a new trial, which has been denied twice.
“He is not sorry for his conduct or his choices,” Mr Raniere’s lawyers wrote in a court filing.
