A federal judge has denied bail for the founder of a purported self-help group under investigation for alleged sex-trafficking.
Keith Raniere appeared Tuesday in a Brooklyn court, accused of forming a secret society within NXIVM, a group based in Clifton Park that over the years has attracted a following of celebrities and wealthy people.
Prosecutors allege the sub-group branded brainwashed victims with Raniere's initials during initiation ceremonies that turned them into his sex slaves.
The defense says the women were never abused. Meantime, NXIVM announced on its website that it has temporarily suspended operations.
(C) 2018 AP
