NEW YORK - A reputed New York sex cult whose leader is accused of holding a woman hostage and having women branded with his initials carried out his crimes in an upstate subdivision that hid a “horror movie” reality, a federal prosecutor said on Monday.
Keith Raniere, 58, is on trial facing charges including racketeering, sex trafficking and child pornography. Prosecutors said he used his organization, Nxivm, which billed itself as a self-help group, to hide a secretive sorority where young women were blackmailed into sex and made to follow dangerously restrictive diets.
Raniere, who could face life in prison if convicted, has pleaded not guilty. His defense attorney, Marc Agnifilo, told the jury at a federal courthouse in New York’s Brooklyn borough not to accept that Raniere was responsible for everything Nxivm did.The six-week trial has featured testimony from several women who said Raniere victimized them, including Lauren Salzman, daughter of Nxivm co-founder Nancy Salzman and a longtime member of Raniere’s inner circle.
Raniere’s “slaves” were forced to hand over compromising information about themselves, often including nude photos and embarrassing confessions. They were told the material would be released if they disobeyed orders or tried to leave, according to Salzman and other witnesses.
''Maybe it worked,' Agnifilo said. Nicole testified that she was tied to a table and subjected to a sex act with another woman against her will while Raniere watched, coerced into having sex with Raniere several times and eventually branded with his initials.' Sick defense
Plain Jane on the outside, party on the inside? I got nothing.
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