Witness: I Was Forced Into Sex Act With Self-Help Guru

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Dave Lucas

Published May 8, 2019 at 4:08 PM EDT

A woman has told a jury she was forced to perform a sex act with the leader of a secretive upstate New York self-help group.

The witness gave graphic testimony Wednesday at the federal trial of Keith Raniere, describing her experiences as a member of a master-slave society within NXIVM, a group that's been compared to a cult.

She says her designated master ordered her to meet Raniere in private, who then engaged in sex acts with her. She said she was ashamed but didn't think she had a choice.

The woman was allowed to testify only using her first name to protect her privacy.

Raniere has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and other charges. He insists his sexual encounters with followers were consensual.

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New York News NXIVM

Dave Lucas

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.

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