Democratic New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and #MeToo hustler (as James Woods puts it) might lose her career over her father’s ties to the sex cult and sex trafficking operation.
In March , Mexican authorities arrested Keith Raniere, co-founder of the sex ‘self-help group’ NXIVM, on charges of sex trafficking and forced labor conspiracy. Raniere, 57 – known as “Vanguard” to his followers – was arrested at a $10,000/week luxury villa near Puerto Vallarta and extradited to Texas for arraignment. The same month FBI agents raided the home of NXIVM president Nancy Salzman – “Prefect” to her followers.
Considered a cult by some experts, NXIVM was thrown into the national spotlight last fall when the New York Times interviewed several women claiming to have been forcibly branded as part of their entree to a secret NXIVM sect called DOS. After that story broke, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Brooklyn reportedly launched an investigation into NXIVM, and Raniere fled to Mexico with some female followers. (That reportedly included Smallville actress Allison Mack, who was photographed at the scene of his arrest in Mexico).
If convicted, Raniere faces 15 years to life. Here’s what we learned from the newly released criminal complaint against Raniere, filed by FBI agent Michael Lever and unsealed in a Brooklyn court on Monday.
Since founding NXIVM’s umbrella org ESP (Executive Success Programs), Raniere has allegedly maintained a rotating cast of 15 to 20 women he’s had active sexual relationships with.
According to the complaint, the women must remain sexually faithful to Raniere and are not permitted to discuss their relationships with him. The document also states that NXIVM’s course teachings advocate that men must have “multiple sexual partners” while women must be monogamous, and that DOS strives to help women overcome their “inherent weaknesses” and “overemotional natures.”DOS’ “master-slave” participants allegedly thought they were joining a women-only sorority, and Raniere’s position at the top of the group was withheld.
Per the complaint, NXIVM’s secret society, DOS, is a pyramid-style “organized criminal group” with levels of “slaves headed by masters.” The document alleges that Raniere is the singular ruling “master” and sole male member of DOS (also reportedly known as “The Vow”). The society is rumored to have formed around 2015; DOS allegedly stands for “Domunus Obsequious Sororium,” which loosely translates to “Lord/Master of the Obedient Female Companions.”The document claims that DOS’ “slaves” had to recruit more slaves in order to become “masters” themselves, and that NXIVM women who were going through some kind of personal strife were the primary targets of DOS recruiting efforts.
When luring a new DOS member, the complaint says that masters required “collateral” in the form of incriminating photos, videos, or “damning” confessions about a recruit or her family. This material was allegedly used to blackmail members into staying put, as well as to dissuade them from speaking up about what they were exposed to within the group. The complaint alleges that DOS members had to provide new collateral once a month, and according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue, members were also threatened with having their assets stolen.
The complaint also states that many DOS slaves were allegedly forced to participate in a torture ritual in which they were held down naked by other members and branded with Raniere’s initials using a cauterizing device. The complaint says these encounters were filmed.
DOS members were allegedly forced to provide “acts of care” for masters – and have sex with Raniere.
The complaint states that DOS slaves were forced to serve their masters in various “acts of care,” including running errands for them, cleaning their homes and preparing food for them. They were also reportedly forced to perform uncomfortable “acts of self-denial,” such as taking icy showers or “standing for an hour at 4 a.m.”The document says that slaves were given “assignments” to perform as part of their tenure, and these assignments could include sex with Raniere. Some slaves were also allegedly tasked with following brutally low-calorie starvation diets to remain extremely thin, a physical preference of Raniere’s. The women tasked with having sex with Raniere reportedly believed they risked the release of their collateral if they refused. According to Raniere’s detention memo filed by U.S. Attorney Donoghue, “The government estimates that the defendant has had more than fifty DOS slaves under him.”
Source: Big League Politics, Rolling Stone
Image: Phil Roeder
