Cult leader Keith Raniere found guilty of sex trafficking and child abuse imagery

Cult leader Keith Raniere has been found guilty of sex trafficking and child abuse imagery.

The NXIVM leader was found guilty on all counts today after being accused of leading a sex cult that enslaved women and extorted its members. Raniere allegedly led a "slave and master" regime within the group where members were coerced into having sex with him. All of the members of the cult were women. BBC News reports that Raniere could face life in prison following today's verdict. He had pleaded not guilty to all charges against him. The prosecution said that NXIVM was a sex trafficking organisation disguised as a self-help mentoring group. During the trial, they called witnesses who told the court that they had Raniere's initials branded on their bodies. They said that they were coerced into having sex with the 58-year-old and that they were blackmailed by Raniere after he forced them to provide intimate photos of themselves. The youngest victim prosecutors said was blackmailed was a 15-year-old girl. This comes after former Smallville actor Allison Mack pleaded guilty to her involvement in NXIVM. Mack is accused of recruiting women to serve as sex slaves by telling them the group was promoting female mentorship. The actor, best-known for her role as Chloe Sullivan in Smallville, appeared in court last year. She pleaded guilty to racketeering and racketeering conspiracy charges, having previously denied the accusations. Mack is scheduled to be sentenced in September. She is facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.