"Keith Raniere, a self-help guru, has been found guilty of presiding over an ultra-secretive society that imprisoned women as sex slaves branded with his initials."

"The case established an unexpected link between an organization preaching self-empowerment and an internal, cultlike subgroup dedicated to serving the carnal – and now criminal – demands of its founder. Raniere, who claimed to be one of the smartest people in the world and boasted a devoted following, was found guilty of all counts against him, including racketeering, forced labour, sex trafficking and child abuse images charges. The jury reached their decision in less than five hours of deliberations... Only in opening statements and closing arguments did Raniere present any explanation, offering through his defense counsel that whatever had taken place was consensual. On Monday, before Judge Nicholas Garaufis handed the case to the jury, Raniere’s lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, simply described DOS as a 'social club,'  arguing that his client’s followers acted of their own volition, making 'adult choices.' 'He doesn’t need DOS to generate intimate partners,' Agnifilo said of his client. 'One has nothing to [d]o with the other. This is just his lifestyle.'"

From "Nxivm trial: Keith Raniere found guilty on all counts in sex cult case/Jury sided with prosecutors, who said Raniere used blackmail and starvation and to force women into becoming ‘first-line slaves’" (The Guardian).