US sex cult leader Keith Raniere jailed for 120 years

Keith Raniere sold dreams to America which later turned out to be nightmares. Raniere started a self-help group in 1998 while mingling with the superrich and was invited to big Hollywood parties but beneath all theglitz and glamour he was running a cult sexually abusing women and branding them as slaves.

Now, the law has caught up with Raniere. He has been sentenced to jail for 120 years, an effective life sentence.

"When justice catches up with you - as it did today - it is severe. Keith Raniere will not be able to victimise people anymore," Seth D. Ducharme, acting US attorney eastern district, New York, said.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

With those words, a 22-year-old chapter was closed which was about power and exploitation by Keith Allen Raniere who was a sexual predator disguised himself as a self-help guru.

In 1998, Raniere founded 'Nxivm' - a multi-level marketing company which offered personal development courses often recruiting celebrities to take classes but behind the scenes, he was running a cult. Female members of Nxivm were sexually abused by Raniere and his inner circle, some of them were underage.

In 2003, the American media caught wind of Raniere's cult. Forbes magazine published a detailed cover story titled "the world's strangest executive coach" but even they failed to realise the true extent of what was going on as within Nxivm there was a secret group called Dos who were close associates of Raniere. Women in Dos were branded with Raniere's initials using a hot cauterizing pen they were treated as sex slaves

Throughout the last decade, many of Raniere's associates broke ranks with him and they recounted disturbing stories of sexual abuse. Finally, in 2018, Raniere and his associates were arrested.

Fifteen women came forward with testimonies during the trial, one of them revealed that Raniere had a sexual relationship with her when she was a minor. Her testimony was chilling.

"While he hid our sexual relationship from others, he explained it to me by telling me that I was very mature for my age and I know now that it was false, I was a child, he used my innocence to do whatever he wanted with me not just sexually but also psychologically," a witness identified as Camila said.

Despite the mounting evidence and witness accounts, Raniere maintained his innocence. He branded some of the witnesses as liars, something the judge noted while reading the sentence.

"Despite everything that has happened and despite the countless victims who have given voice to their great pain, Mr Raniere remains unmoved. indeed, he maintains his innocence," the judge said.

Keith Raniere will not see the outside world again, he has been sentenced to prison for 120 years. His chapter of exploitation is effectively closed but it could be years before the wounds he inflicted finally heal.