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Keith Raniere was sentenced today (27) to 120 years in prison after being convicted of seven crimes related to what prosecutors described as a sex cult within NXIVM, an organization of which he was the leader and co-founder.
In June 2019, Raniere, 60, was convicted after a six-week trial of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, forced labor conspiracy, sex trafficking conspiracy, and two counts of sex trafficking. He was arrested in March 2018.
NXIVM was founded in 1998 as a personal improvement program. However, complaints from members said that Raniere was actually the leader of a sex slave scheme. Witnesses said they were forced to have sex, in addition to being marked and forced to abort.
Today’s hearing was not televised and those present were unable to bring electronic devices to court, standard policy of federal court in the United States.
Several victims and their relatives attended the presentation of the sentence. Prosecutors asked Raniere for life in prison, while his lawyers defended a 15-year sentence. 15 of Raniere’s victims read shock statements before Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis handed down the sentence.
The sex guru sect came to attract renowned actresses and personalities from around the world. Smalville actress Allison Mack pleaded guilty in 2018 to conspiracy, extortion and slave labor, but said she was the victim of brainwashing by the guru.
