Mr. Raniere, 58, has been indicted on charges of racketeering conspiracy, identity theft, extortion, forced labor, money laundering, wire fraud and sex trafficking.

In recent weeks, five women who were charged as Mr. Raniere's co-defendants have pleaded guilty to various federal charges, leaving Mr. Raniere to stand trial alone. -New York Times

One woman, a 32-year-old identified only as "Sylvie," said that she had been involved in the group for around 13 years for their self-help seminars - only to be later invited to join a secretive sorority within the organization known as "Dominus Obsequious Sororium" (DOS) - Latin for "master over the slave women."