NXIVM Leader Found Guilty Of Sex Trafficking, Faces Life In Prison
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Keith Raniere, the founder of the sex-slavery cult NXIVM, was found guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering on Wednesday, BuzzFeed News reported.
For two decades, Raniere led NXIVM, a purported self-help company that prosecutors said was just a cult that controlled members, branded them and forced them into having sex with him. After a six-week trial, the jury found him guilty of all seven charges. He will be sentenced September 25 and faces life in prison.
Clare Bronfman, daughter of the late Jewish philanthropist and former Seagram chairman Edgar Bronfman, took charge of NXIVM after Raniere and his top aide, former “Smallville” actor Allison Mack, were arrested. Bronfman pleaded guilty in April for her involvement; she is to pay $6 million and may spend more than two years in prison. She’ll be sentenced next month.
Several other women, including Mack, had already pleaded guilty to their involvement.
Alyssa Fisher is a writer at the Forward. Email her at fisher@forward.com, or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher
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