Prosecutors revealed a decades-long pattern of grooming , sexual abuse of girls and women, physical and psychological punishments against dissenters, and hacking and vexatious litigation against enemies. On June 19, , Raniere was convicted on the top charge of racketeering and racketeering conspiracy as well as several other charges and was sentenced to years imprisonment.
By , 3, people had taken part in ESP classes. NXIVM claimed its training was a trade secret , subject to non-disclosure agreements , but reportedly used a technique the organization called "rational inquiry" to facilitate personal and professional development.
Ross Institute , alleging copyright infringement for publishing excerpts of content from its manual in three critical articles commissioned by cult investigator Rick Alan Ross and posted on his website.
Ross obtained the manual from former member Stephanie Franco, a co- defendant in the trial, who had signed a non-disclosure agreement not to divulge information from the manual to others. They were especially upset by remarks made by Bronfman, who told Forbes that he believed NXIVM was a cult and that he was troubled by his daughters' "emotional and financial investment" in it.
NXIVM has been described as a pyramid scheme , [ 66 ] [ 67 ] [ 68 ] [ 39 ] a sex-trafficking operation, [ 69 ] a cult, [ 70 ] [ 71 ] [ 72 ] and a sex cult.
