NXIVM’s founder Keith Raniere was convicted on Wednesday on all seven counts against him, for creating what prosecutors described as a sex cult in which female members were branded with his initials and kept in line through blackmail.
Raniere, 58, was convicted after a six-week trial of charges including racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, forced labor conspiracy, sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy and attempted sex trafficking. He will be sentenced Sept. 25.
Raniere, also known as "Vanguard" to members within NXIVM, and Allison Mack, who is best known for her role on the TV series "Smallville," were both indicted by a grand jury in April 2018 on charges arising from Raniere and Mack’s alleged roles in a secret society within NXIVM.
Rainere did not testify at trial and his defense attorney did not call any witnesses, but contended in court that the relationships were consensual, not forced.
According to the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Richard P. Donoghue, Mack recruited women into what they believed was a "female mentorship group that was, in fact, created and led by Keith Raniere."
Raniere was portrayed as a leader, a mentor, guru, humanitarian but prosecutors called him "a conman, a predator, a crime boss."
Prosecutors say many of the female victims were branded and forced to participate in sex acts with Raniere.
Outside court, Donoghue called Raniere a "Master manipulator, a conman and crime boss of a cult-like organization involved in sex trafficking, child pornography…branding…and humiliation."
"His crimes, and the crimes of his co-conspirators, ruined marriages, careers, fortunes and lives," Donoghue said.