41 VOLUME 10 |ISSUE 1 |2019
… “Raniere, who founded several pyramid-structured
organizations including NXIVM, a purported self-help
organization for women, and various related entities, and
Mack, a high-ranking member of NXIVM, were previously
charged with sex trafficking and forced labor conspiracy in
an indictment filed April 20, 2018. Bronfman, a member of
NXIVM’s executive board Russell, NXIVM’s former bookkeeper
Lauren Salzman, a member of NXIVM’s executive board and
Nancy Salzman, the president of NXIVM, were charged for the
first time in the superseding indictment.” (Times Union, 7/24/18
CultNews101, 07/24/18)
FBI sifts mountain of data in NXIVM’s seized computers
“The Justice Department has hired an outside vendor to help
the FBI sift through a virtual mountain of data contained
on computer devices that were seized in March from two
Halfmoon residences associated with NXIVM’s co-founders,
Nancy Salzman and Keith Raniere. Federal prosecutors
estimate the computer devices contain up to 12 terabytes of
data, and have noted that a U.S. Circuit Court in Manhattan
has characterized one terabyte of data as being the equivalent
of ‘12 library floors’ worth of books.’ The processing of the
devices includes placing attorney-client privileged records
into a ‘firewall database,’ where they are being reviewed by
law enforcement officials not involved in the investigation.
Also, some of the computer devices could not be searched ‘for
technical reasons’ and have been sent to the FBI’s headquarters
for analysis, prosecutors said.” (Times Union, 09/24/18)
Keith Raniere’s NXIVM: Former students of alleged sex cult
sue Seagram heiress
“An alleged disciple of sex cult leader Keith Raniere is
being sued by two former students of the self-described
self-improvement organisation. Seagram liquor heiress
Sara Bronfman-Igtet is the target of the Brooklyn Supreme
Court class-action suit. She is the sister of Clare Bronfman
who has already been charged with racketeering conspiracy
involving the cult NXIVM with federal investigators alleging
she provided financial backing to the network. … Isabella
Martinez, Gabrielle Leal and others allege Bronfman-Igtet
‘ensnared’ them in ‘a fraudulent scheme nationwide’ as part of
the cult. It [the lawsuit] claims Bronfman-Igtet ‘uniformly misled
Plaintiffs and the Class that they would participate in classes
that were equivalent to a “practical MBA” to achieve success
in business and in life,’ reports the NY Post. Part of the fraud
committed to induce the purchase from ESP, was the claim that
the program was developed by the ‘one of the World’s Smartest
Men’—Keith Raniere.” (9 News, 09/05/18)
Smallville star Allison Mack once thought sex cult was “a
little messed up”
“The investigation into the NXIVM sex cult is widening and a
federal prosecutor says there could be more criminal charges
against its whiffy svengali and his followers. Keith Raniere
and five devotees are already facing sex-trafficking and other
charges. His top confidantes include Smallville star Allison
Mack and the Seagram’s booze heiress Clare Bronfman.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Moira Penza also told a Brooklyn judge
on [September 13th] it’s possible more people could be
charged in the investigation of the Albany-based cult.” (Toronto
Sun, 09/14/18)
Claire Ashman escaped the Order of St Charbel doomsday
cult after almost a decade
“For almost a decade, Claire Ashman [survivor of two cults
and world-renowned TEDx speaker] lived by the whim of a
man who called himself ‘Little Pebble,’ believed in a global
doomsday cult and claimed he could speak to God and the
Virgin Mary. After joining the Order of St Charbel, Ms Ashman,
48, said that she was forced to join the religious order, take
vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, attend prayers three
times a day and live under strict rules. It was concern for the
safety of her eight young children that eventually saw her flee
from the secretive cult, led by convicted rapist William Kamm
on the NSW south coast [of Australia].” (Nine News, 07/25/18)
Orthodox Jewish organizations reach $14.25 million
settlement with victims of voyeur rabbi
“Victims of a prominent Orthodox rabbi [Rabbi Bernard
‘Barry’ Freundel] who spied for years on women in a ritual
bath in Washington, D.C., have reached a $14.25 million
settlement with four Jewish organizations, the rabbi’s former
synagogue announced Tuesday. The settlement, which
must be approved by a judge, could close a legal chapter
in the scandal that rocked the Orthodox Jewish community
regionally and nationally, because of the prominence of
Bernard ‘Barry’ Freundel and victims’ allegations that national
Orthodox rabbinical bodies could have done more. The Jewish
groups named in the lawsuit were: Kesher Israel Congregation,
the National Capital Mikvah, the Rabbinical Council of America,
and the Beth Din of the United States of America. Freundel was
also named in the suit. Freundel placed a hidden camera in the
changing room of a mikvah, a ritual bath Jews use for various
purposes, including as part of the conversion process. Many of
the victims were conversion students of Freundel, who had a
reputation as one of the most stringent and impeccable rabbis
for conversion in the modern Orthodox movement, a more
liberal segment of Orthodox Judaism.” (The Washington Post,
08/28/18)
Shadow of secrecy lifting from decades of abuse by priests
in Pennsylvania
“In 2016, Pennsylvania’s attorney general launched a grand
jury investigation, into allegations of [priest] sexual abuse in
six of the state’s eight dioceses [of the Catholic Church]. The
investigation was conducted under ‘the umbrella of secrecy,’
court documents note. It came closely after a 2016 grand
jury investigation that found evidence that two bishops in
the Altoona-Johnstown diocese covered up sexual abuse
by dozens of church leaders. The new investigation was
far broader—the report, which has been finished but not
… “Raniere, who founded several pyramid-structured
organizations including NXIVM, a purported self-help
organization for women, and various related entities, and
Mack, a high-ranking member of NXIVM, were previously
charged with sex trafficking and forced labor conspiracy in
an indictment filed April 20, 2018. Bronfman, a member of
NXIVM’s executive board Russell, NXIVM’s former bookkeeper
Lauren Salzman, a member of NXIVM’s executive board and
Nancy Salzman, the president of NXIVM, were charged for the
first time in the superseding indictment.” (Times Union, 7/24/18
CultNews101, 07/24/18)
FBI sifts mountain of data in NXIVM’s seized computers
“The Justice Department has hired an outside vendor to help
the FBI sift through a virtual mountain of data contained
on computer devices that were seized in March from two
Halfmoon residences associated with NXIVM’s co-founders,
Nancy Salzman and Keith Raniere. Federal prosecutors
estimate the computer devices contain up to 12 terabytes of
data, and have noted that a U.S. Circuit Court in Manhattan
has characterized one terabyte of data as being the equivalent
of ‘12 library floors’ worth of books.’ The processing of the
devices includes placing attorney-client privileged records
into a ‘firewall database,’ where they are being reviewed by
law enforcement officials not involved in the investigation.
Also, some of the computer devices could not be searched ‘for
technical reasons’ and have been sent to the FBI’s headquarters
for analysis, prosecutors said.” (Times Union, 09/24/18)
Keith Raniere’s NXIVM: Former students of alleged sex cult
sue Seagram heiress
“An alleged disciple of sex cult leader Keith Raniere is
being sued by two former students of the self-described
self-improvement organisation. Seagram liquor heiress
Sara Bronfman-Igtet is the target of the Brooklyn Supreme
Court class-action suit. She is the sister of Clare Bronfman
who has already been charged with racketeering conspiracy
involving the cult NXIVM with federal investigators alleging
she provided financial backing to the network. … Isabella
Martinez, Gabrielle Leal and others allege Bronfman-Igtet
‘ensnared’ them in ‘a fraudulent scheme nationwide’ as part of
the cult. It [the lawsuit] claims Bronfman-Igtet ‘uniformly misled
Plaintiffs and the Class that they would participate in classes
that were equivalent to a “practical MBA” to achieve success
in business and in life,’ reports the NY Post. Part of the fraud
committed to induce the purchase from ESP, was the claim that
the program was developed by the ‘one of the World’s Smartest
Men’—Keith Raniere.” (9 News, 09/05/18)
Smallville star Allison Mack once thought sex cult was “a
little messed up”
“The investigation into the NXIVM sex cult is widening and a
federal prosecutor says there could be more criminal charges
against its whiffy svengali and his followers. Keith Raniere
and five devotees are already facing sex-trafficking and other
charges. His top confidantes include Smallville star Allison
Mack and the Seagram’s booze heiress Clare Bronfman.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Moira Penza also told a Brooklyn judge
on [September 13th] it’s possible more people could be
charged in the investigation of the Albany-based cult.” (Toronto
Sun, 09/14/18)
Claire Ashman escaped the Order of St Charbel doomsday
cult after almost a decade
“For almost a decade, Claire Ashman [survivor of two cults
and world-renowned TEDx speaker] lived by the whim of a
man who called himself ‘Little Pebble,’ believed in a global
doomsday cult and claimed he could speak to God and the
Virgin Mary. After joining the Order of St Charbel, Ms Ashman,
48, said that she was forced to join the religious order, take
vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, attend prayers three
times a day and live under strict rules. It was concern for the
safety of her eight young children that eventually saw her flee
from the secretive cult, led by convicted rapist William Kamm
on the NSW south coast [of Australia].” (Nine News, 07/25/18)
Orthodox Jewish organizations reach $14.25 million
settlement with victims of voyeur rabbi
“Victims of a prominent Orthodox rabbi [Rabbi Bernard
‘Barry’ Freundel] who spied for years on women in a ritual
bath in Washington, D.C., have reached a $14.25 million
settlement with four Jewish organizations, the rabbi’s former
synagogue announced Tuesday. The settlement, which
must be approved by a judge, could close a legal chapter
in the scandal that rocked the Orthodox Jewish community
regionally and nationally, because of the prominence of
Bernard ‘Barry’ Freundel and victims’ allegations that national
Orthodox rabbinical bodies could have done more. The Jewish
groups named in the lawsuit were: Kesher Israel Congregation,
the National Capital Mikvah, the Rabbinical Council of America,
and the Beth Din of the United States of America. Freundel was
also named in the suit. Freundel placed a hidden camera in the
changing room of a mikvah, a ritual bath Jews use for various
purposes, including as part of the conversion process. Many of
the victims were conversion students of Freundel, who had a
reputation as one of the most stringent and impeccable rabbis
for conversion in the modern Orthodox movement, a more
liberal segment of Orthodox Judaism.” (The Washington Post,
08/28/18)
Shadow of secrecy lifting from decades of abuse by priests
in Pennsylvania
“In 2016, Pennsylvania’s attorney general launched a grand
jury investigation, into allegations of [priest] sexual abuse in
six of the state’s eight dioceses [of the Catholic Church]. The
investigation was conducted under ‘the umbrella of secrecy,’
court documents note. It came closely after a 2016 grand
jury investigation that found evidence that two bishops in
the Altoona-Johnstown diocese covered up sexual abuse
by dozens of church leaders. The new investigation was
far broader—the report, which has been finished but not
