US guru accused of branding initials on his ‘sex slaves’ is arrested
AN AMERICAN self-help guru accused of presiding over a secretive society of female sex slaves branded with his initials was arrested in Mexico after fleeing from New York state.
Keith Raniere, 57, co-founder of the group Nxivm, was taken back to Texas on Monday, according to prosecutors, and was due to appear in court on Tuesday. He is charged with sex trafficking and conspiracies that could see him jailed for between 15 years and life if convicted.
Prosecutors in Brooklyn allege that Raniere set up a series of self-help workshops, with five-day courses costing as much as $5,000.
However, women were told that the best way to advance was within a secret group of “slaves” and “masters”. Raniere stood at the top of the pyramid, and women were expected to have sex with him, investigators claim.
Women claimed they took part in videotaped ceremonies where victims were branded in their pelvic area with a symbol that featured Raniere’s initials. Some were forced to follow lowcalorie diets, prosecutors said.
Raniere denied many of the allegations when they were reported by The
New York Times, telling his followers in a letter on the group’s website: “Over the past months, there have been extensive independent investigations performed, by highly qualified individuals, and they have firmly concluded that there is no merit to the allegations that we are abusing, coercing or harming individuals. These allegations are most disturbing to me as non-violence is one of my most important values.”