New York - The New York man who started a
secret society in which female "slaves" were branded with his
initials and ordered to have sex with him may have led an
unconventional life, but he did not break the law, his lawyer
told jurors on Monday.
"The conduct, looked at objectively, is pretty out there,"
Marc Agnifilo, lawyer for Keith Raniere, said in his closing
argument in Brooklyn federal court. "That doesn't make it a
crime."
Raniere, 58, is on trial facing charges including
racketeering, sex trafficking and child pornography.
Prosecutors said he used his organization, Nxivm, which billed
itself as a self-help group, to hide the secretive sorority,
called DOS.
Raniere faces a possible sentence of life in prison if
convicted.
In her closing argument earlier on Monday, Assistant US Attorney Moira Penza said members were tricked into handing over
compromising photos and confessions, called "collateral," that
could be used to blackmail them. She described Raniere as a "a
con man, a predator, a crime boss" who operated "through abuse
and control."
Agnifilo countered that Raniere never intended to release
collateral and only meant to help the women with their personal
growth.
Catherine Oxenberg, right, and Toni Natalie, centre, arrive at federal court in New York last year. File picture: Mary Altaffer/AP
He even suggested that one of the former DOS members who
testified in the trial, a woman known only as Nicole, might have
been helped by her time as a "slave."
"Maybe it worked," Agnifilo said.
Nicole testified that she was tied to a table and subjected
to a sex act with another woman against her will while Raniere
watched, coerced into having sex with Raniere several times and
eventually branded with his initials.
The six-week trial has featured testimony from multiple
women who said Raniere victimized them, including Lauren
Salzman, daughter of Nxivm co-founder Nancy Salzman and a
longtime member of Raniere's inner circle.
Lauren Salzman leaves Brooklyn federal court in New York. File picture: Seth Wenig/AP
Raniere declined to testify and his defense called no
witnesses.
Other members of Nxivm, which is pronounced "nexium," were
charged. They include Nancy Salzman, actress Allison Mack and
Seagram liquor heiress Claire Bronfman. They have all pleaded
guilty to crimes but have not yet been sentenced.
Clare Bronfman, centre, has pleaded guilty to charges implicating her in the sex-trafficking conspiracy case. File picture: Mary Altaffer/AP
The group first became known for its "Executive Success
Program" courses, which purported to give students the ability
to achieve their goals in life by overcoming mental blocks.
Witnesses testified that leaders of the organization
psychologically manipulated and abused its members and demanded
total obedience from them.