NXIVM cult leader Keith Raniere sentenced to 120 years in prison
10/27/2020 2:33 pm PDT
via WPIX:
NEW YORK (WPIX/AP) -- Keith Raniere, a self-improvement guru whose organization NXIVM attracted millionaires and actresses among its adherents, was sentenced Tuesday to 120 years in prison.
The 60-year-old was convicted of charges accusing him of turning some of his followers into sex slaves branded with his initials.
TRUE CRIME DAILY: NXIVM case coverage - TCD
The court proceeding in Brooklyn culminates several years of revelations about the organization, which charged people thousands of dollars for self improvement courses.
Those people included Hollywood celebrities and others willing to endure humiliation and pledge obedience for Raniere's vision of how to pursue perfection.
Prosecutors said Raniere led what amounted to a criminal enterprise. Co-conspirators helped recruit and groom sexual partners for him.
Authorities charged Raniere with sex-trafficking in 2018.
MORE: NXIVM head Keith Raniere sentenced to 120 years in prison - WPIX