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| Nxivm: Sex cult leader Raniere found guilty in New York | Nxivm: Sex cult leader Raniere found guilty in New York |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Keith Raniere, a self-help guru accused of leading a sex cult that enslaved women, has been found guilty of all charges against him. | |
| Raniere, 58, was convicted by a jury after a six-week trial in Brooklyn, New York. | |
| He allegedly oversaw a "slave and master" system in his group, called Nxivm. | |
| He was convicted of all counts against him, including racketeering, sex trafficking and child pornography. | |
| Mr Raniere, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, could face life in prison. | |
| During the trial, the court heard how female recruits in the group were branded with his initials and coerced into having sex with Raniere. | During the trial, the court heard how female recruits in the group were branded with his initials and coerced into having sex with Raniere. |
| Raniere maintained that Nxivm (pronounced nexium) was a self-improvement organisation, but investigators said it was a sex-trafficking operation disguised as a mentoring group. | Raniere maintained that Nxivm (pronounced nexium) was a self-improvement organisation, but investigators said it was a sex-trafficking operation disguised as a mentoring group. |
| Recruits were told it was an all-female group and were asked to hand over compromising materials that were later used to blackmail them, prosecutors said. | Recruits were told it was an all-female group and were asked to hand over compromising materials that were later used to blackmail them, prosecutors said. |
| Raniere was arrested by the FBI in Mexico last year. His defence team said the alleged sexual relationships were consensual. | Raniere was arrested by the FBI in Mexico last year. His defence team said the alleged sexual relationships were consensual. |
| When the verdict was read outside court, former members of Nxivm gave the prosecution team a round of applause. | |
| Five female members of Nxivm - including a liquor heiress and an actress - have pleaded guilty to a series of charges for their involvement. | |
| What is Nxivm? | What is Nxivm? |
| On its website Nxivm describes itself as a "community guided by humanitarian principles that seek to empower people and answer important questions about what it means to be human". | On its website Nxivm describes itself as a "community guided by humanitarian principles that seek to empower people and answer important questions about what it means to be human". |
| Based in Albany, New York, the group was founded as Executive Success Programs in 1998 and says it has worked with more than 16,000 people. | Based in Albany, New York, the group was founded as Executive Success Programs in 1998 and says it has worked with more than 16,000 people. |
| Members of the group are reported to include the son of a former Mexican president and Hollywood actresses. | Members of the group are reported to include the son of a former Mexican president and Hollywood actresses. |
| According to the group's website, it has suspended enrolment and events because of the "extraordinary circumstances facing the company at this time". | According to the group's website, it has suspended enrolment and events because of the "extraordinary circumstances facing the company at this time". |