Front Burner

The downfall of NXIVM's Keith Raniere

On Tuesday, after the court heard the painful victim impact statements of 15 people, disgraced NXIVM self help guru Keith Raniere was sentenced to what amounts to life in prison. Today, reporter Josh Bloch tells Jayme how the trial unfolded.
In this Tuesday, May 7, 2019 file courtroom drawing, defendant Keith Raniere, centre, leader of the secretive group NXIVM, is seated between his attorneys Paul DerOhannesian, left, and Marc Agnifilo during the first day of his sex trafficking trial. (Elizabeth Williams/The Associated Press)

Three years ago, if you were one of the women who had been victimized by Keith Raniere, the man seemed untouchable. Raniere was the leader of the cult-like self help group NXIVM.

Now—that's all changed. 

In a U.S. federal courtroom Tuesday, Keith Raniere was sentenced to 120 years—having been convicted of a slew of crimes. During the trial and sentencing, victims told of how the self-professed empowerment "vanguard" had turned some of his followers into sex slaves and branded them with his initials. 

Josh Bloch investigated Raniere in his podcast UNCOVER: Escaping NXIVM. He joins Jayme to break down the case.

 

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