Nxivm ‘sex cult’ leader Keith Raniere arrested ‘for raping girls as young as 12 and forcing followers to become his slaves’

THE leader of a 'cult' which is alleged to have branded, blackmailed and brainwashed women has been arrested on allegations of sex trafficking.

In arrest documents seen by Sun Online, Keith Raniere is accused of raping girls as young as 12, imprisoning a woman for 18 months because she developed feelings for someone else - and forcing one follower to run into a tree and drink from a puddle.

Raniere is also alleged to have forced women attending one of his classes to wear fake cow udders over their breasts while people called them "derogatory names", put women in cages as punishments and spent thousands of dollars on a dead lover's credit card to fund a luxury lifestyle.

In a federal complaint against the 57-year-old, the US government accuses Raniere of of running a secret society called "DOS" or "The Vow" in which women were recruited as slaves and slave masters, branded with his initials on their pubic areas and forced to hand over highly damaging information abut themselves including naked pictures and rights to their assets.

Sun Online exposed Raniere's 'cult' last year - and was even shown some of the so-called X-rated "collateral" which had been leaked by a former member.

According to the complaint, the alleged "slaves" were ordered to stop waxing or shaving their public hair - because Raniere supposedly prefers women with lots of public hair - and to remain celibate - as he apparently believed women should be monogamous and men polyamorous.

The alleged "slaves" were supposedly recruited from Nxivm - a so-called self improvement group - which authorities now believe may have been a pyramid scheme.

Each woman is said to have been forced to recruit more slaves, who allegedly had to carry out "readiness drills", be available any time of the day or night - and often have sex with Raniere.

Raniere - known as "Vanguard" to followers - is accused of having a "decades' long history of abusing women and girls" - including "repeated sexual encounters with multiple teenage girls" as young as 12, according to the document.

"In one instance, the defendant met a fifteen-year-old girl while he was in his 20s and had repeated sexual contact with her," the document says.

"In another instance, the defendant met a twelve-year-old girl whose mother worked for the defendant and began tutoring her.

“Shortly thereafter, the defendant began having regular sexual intercourse with her, including at his home where he lived with multiple adult sexual partners.”

In indictment documents, the FBI describe Raniere as having "a rotating group of 15 to 20 women with whom he maintains sexual relationships."

At least two Hollywood actresses are said to have supported the 'cult' - Allison Mack and Nicki Clyne, according to Nxivm's former publicist Frank Parlato.

There is nothing to suggest either Mack or Clyne are involved in the alleged sex crimes in any way.