NXIVM Leader Found Guilty Of Sex Trafficking, Faces Life In Prison
Image by Getty Images
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 [email protected], or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
