Raniere, a self-improvement guru whose organization NXIVM attracted millionaires and actresses among its adherents, faces sentencing Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, on convictions that he turned some female followers into sex slaves branded with his initials. The judge told a woman who Raniere ordered to be kept in a room for two years when she was 18: “What happened to you is not your fault." Prosecutors had sought life in prison, while a defense lawyer told the judge Raniere should face 20 years behind bars. The judge said Raniere groomed a 13-year-old girl so that “two years later he's having sex with a 15-year-old girl." Ex-followers told the judge that Bronfman for years had used her wealth to try to silence NXIVM defectors.

NEW YORK The leader of a cult-like self-improvement group in upstate New York who was convicted last year on charges that he turned some of his followers into sex slaves will face sentencing on Oct. 27, a judge said Friday. We need to figure out how to configure the courtroom to make sure everyone is safe in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the judge said. At trial, prosecutors told jurors that the 59-year-old Ranieres organization, NXIVM pronounced NEHK-see-uhm operated like a cult that won him the devotion of a wealthy heiress and Hollywood actresses. Prosecutors said he formed a secret subgroup comprised of brainwashed female slaves who were branded with his initials and forced to have sex with him. Raniere is facing 15 years to life in prison.

Now, one mother and former recruit, Dynasty actress Catherine Oxenberg, is bringing her true story of losing her daughter, India, to the cult and her long fight to rescue her from the clutches of Raniere to Lifetime. ET, Escaping the NXIVM Cult: A Mother's Fight to Save Her Daughter is based on Oxenbergs 2018 memoir, Captive: A Mother's Crusade to Save Her Daughter From a Terrifying Cult. Her StoryI didnt sign my daughter up for a sex cult, says Oxenberg, who holds herself accountable for what ultimately happened to India. Intending to help her daughter on her journey into adulthood, she inadvertently introduced India, then 19 years old, to NXIVM in 2011. Once almost killed me! (In the film, Oxenberg is portrayed by Andrea Roth while Jasper Parish plays India.

Lifetime's original movie about the controversial NXIVM cult has its very first trailer -- and as expected, it is bonkers. Following the premiere of Escaping the NXIVM Cult, Lifetime will roll out a documentary special with journalist Gretchen Carlson called Beyond the Headlines: Escaping the NXIVM Cult With Gretchen Carlson. The companion doc will show Carlson investigating the cult and feature a sit-down with Oxenberg about her real-life journey to save her daughter from NXIVM. Escaping the NXIVM Cult: A Mother's Fight to Save Her Daughter, part of Lifetime's "Ripped from the Headlines" slate, premieres Saturday, Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. RELATED CONTENT:Lifetime to Release Movie About NXIVM Cult -- See Who's Playing Keith Raniere and Allison MackNXIVM Leader Keith Raniere Found Guilty in Sex Trafficking CaseActress Allison Mack Pleads Guilty in NXIVM Alleged Sex Cult CaseSmallville Star Allison Mack Claims NXIVM Branding Ritual Was Her Idea

Lifetime has announced plans to air a movie about NXIVM, a purported self-help group in New York, which has been called a cult and a pyramid scheme. The film, which has a working title of NXIVM Cult: A Mothers Nightmare, will focus on the real-life story of Catherine Oxenberg, who fought to save her daughter, India, from the organization. The news comes less than two weeks after the organizations founder, Keith Raniere, was found guilty on seven counts including sex trafficking, racketeering and conspiracy charges. Twilight star Peter Facinelli has been cast as Raniere, while Sara Fletcher will star as his associate, Allison Mack, who is also known for her role in TV series, Smallville. RELATED CONTENT:Actress Allison Mack Pleads Guilty in NXIVM Alleged Sex Cult CaseSmallville Star Allison Mack Claims NXIVM Branding Ritual Was Her Idea'Smallville' Star Allison Mack Arrested for Alleged Connection to Sex Trafficking Scheme