A senior FBI official compares the actions of the convicted 60-year-old with a “horror story”. 15 women testified against him in the US court.
This court drawing shows the defendant Keith R. (M.) in the courtroom. Photo: Elizabeth Williams / AP / dpa
Foto: Elizabeth Williams (AP/Keystone)
The founder of a bizarre New York sex cult will have to spend the rest of his life behind bars. A Brooklyn neighborhood court on Tuesday (local time) gave 60-year-old Keith R. a sentence of 120 years after he was convicted of sex trafficking, sexual exploitation and fraud in June 2019. In addition, Judge Nicholas Garaufis ordered a fine of $ 1.75 million. The prosecution had previously called for a life sentence for Raniere, the defense 15 years.
The sentence of 120 years in prison shows the “extent of the horrific crimes,” said prosecutor Seth DuCharme. “Raniere’s control regime over women he has physically and emotionally hurt is like a horror story,” said New York FBI deputy chief William Sweeney. “The sexual exploitation, abuse, loneliness and mind control that victims have experienced under his guidance are unimaginable. Today the judge has given him 120 years to ponder whether the torture he inflicted on people for over a decade and the desperation he inflicted on their families were worth it in the end. »
Before the announcement, 15 victims had reported for hours in court about the crimes of R. and their suffering – including the daughter of actress Catherine Oxenberg. “You are a sex criminal and you raped me,” said India Oxenberg in court to R., as US media reported. “My wonderful daughter … so brave,” wrote mother Catherine via short message service Twitter. “My heart breaks.” Another woman reported how R. had raped her as a minor.
18,000 people in the course
The 60-year-old had shown no remorse during the procedure and recently repeatedly unsuccessfully requested a new procedure. When he was sentenced, he continued to plead his innocence and accused some of the women of lying, but also said he was “very sorry” for causing so much pain and anger. Numerous supporters of R. had gathered in front of the court.
R. founded the Nxivm organization with its headquarters near Albany in the US state of New York at the end of the 1990s, which was officially marketed as a self-help group, but was unofficially a kind of “sex cult”. Women are said to have been sexually abused there and even branded with R.’s initials. According to media reports, around 18,000 people have attended the organization’s expensive “self-optimization courses”.
At the beginning of October, the millionaire heiress Clare Bronfman had already been sentenced to 81 months in prison as R.’s assistant. She is said to have supported Nxvim with her assets from the former spirits company Seagram and her social status and intimidated opponents. Bronfman’s attorney had announced that they would challenge the verdict. Four other helpers of R. have pleaded guilty and are currently waiting for their respective sentence – including the actress Allison Mack, who became famous with the TV series “Smallville”.
Posted today at 10:35 am-
