Keith Raniere, NXIVM sex-cult leader, sentenced to life in prison

Keith Raniere, founder and leader of supposed self help group turned sex-cult NXIVM, has been convicted of crimes including sex trafficking and racketeering. On Oct 27, 2020 he was sentenced to 120 years in prison.

Video Transcript

KEITH RANIERE: Our main emphasis, our main belief is to have people experience more joy in their lives.

[POLICE SIREN BLARING]

[CAMERA FLASHING]

And from that, all sorts of interesting effects appear to happen.

- NXIVM.

- The alleged self-help group, NXIVM.

- NXIVM.

- The alleged sex cult, NXIVM.

- --where women were blackmailed, imprisoned, and even branded with his initials.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

MARK VICENTE: You know, he was like the rock star.

- Hey, Keith? Do you mind if I get your picture? Is that OK?

KEITH RANIERE: Fine. Sure.

[CHATTER]

[CAMERA FLASHING]

Like, do you know what I'm going to say right now?

ALLISON MACK: (LAUGHING) No.

KEITH RANIERE: You're insecure about that?

ALLISON MACK: Yeah.

KEITH RANIERE: Is that scary for you?

ALLISON MACK: No.

KEITH RANIERE: Why not?

ALLISON MACK: Because I trust that what you're going to say is going to be good.

[CAMERA FLASHING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

MARK VICENTE: There's a group of women that have signed a vow. They've given things as collateral, and they're trying to recruit other women to do this.

RICK ROSS: He escalated his control over women to the point where he made them take a vow. He had a doctor brand the women with a cauterizing iron. And this was supposed to be not only an act of submission. They thought that this was an act of commitment.

Raniere required them to give him what he called collateral, which was the most damaging information they could think of, including photographs and transcripts, that he could hold in lieu of them ever imagining leaving the group or being disobedient to him. And they became sex slaves.

- Hey!

MARK VICENTE: Nobody joins a cult. They join a good thing.

KEITH RANIERE: All of the accusations are not true.

If we're playing some sort of game, chances are I'm going to win.

INDIA OXENBERG: My name is India. I was in a cult for seven years.

- Minutes ago, a federal jury here in the Eastern District of New York returned verdicts convicting Keith Raniere on all counts in his federal indictment.

KEITH RANIERE: We will be as ethical as possible. You will be that which you want to see in the world.

[MUSIC PLAYING]