NXIVM Cult Leader Keith Raniere Has Been Sentenced to 120 Years in Prison

Trigger warning: This article discusses sexual assault.

It has been a few months since the world was completely shocked and horrified by The Vow, an American true crime documentary series revolving around the cult NXIVM and its leader Keith Raniere.

The HBO series premiered in Australia on Fox Showcase and it's also available to stream on Binge. So, you can check it out if you're a Binge subscriber. (Affiliate disclosure: Student Edge may earn a commission if you click that link and buy a product from our partner's page.)

The Vow came after a New York Times investigation revealed terrifying truths about the cult. A woman identified as Camila told the publication that she was sexually abused by Raniere on 18 September 2005 when she was 15.

United States authorities began investigating NXIVM and Raniere after the New York Times publication was released.

Now, Raniere has been sentenced to 120 years in prison for sex trafficking and other crimes. The 60-year-old was also fined $US1.75 million.

The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis in New York on Tuesday local time, after a hearing where 15 former NXIVM members spoke out against Raniere.

Raniere's lawyers maintained his innocence throughout the trial and blamed a "media campaign involving witnesses who were motivated to testify falsely" for his conviction. They requested a sentence of no more than 15 years in prison.

"You stole seven years of my life that I'll never get back," former NXIVM member India Oxenberg told Raniere at the hearing.

Additionally, Garaufis called Raniere "ruthless and unyielding" in crimes that were "particularly egregious" because he targeted young girls.

Women were kept on starvation diets, branded with his initials, and ordered to have sex with Raniere as part of the cult.

NXIVM charged thousands of dollars for invitation-only self-improvement courses at its headquarters near Albany, New York and branches in Mexico and Canada. A number of Hollywood actors and other prominent individuals were guests.

As it turns out, several other people associated with NXIVM have also pleaded guilty to criminal charges, including Smallville actress Allison Mack, Seagram liquour heiress Clare Bronfman, former NXIVM President Nancy Salzman and her daughter Lauren Salzman.

A four-part documentary series called Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult recently premiered on Stan.

The Vow has also been renewed for a second season, which is set to be released in 2021.