After Allison Mack’s Arrest – Prosecutors Expect to Charge More in Sex Trafficking Case

Allison Mack
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 24: Actress Allison Mack leaves U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York after a bail hearing, April 24, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Mack was charged last Friday with sex trafficking for her involvement with a self-help organization for women that forced members into sexual acts with their leader. The group, called Nxivm, was led by founder Keith Raniere, who was arrested in March on sex-trafficking charges. She was released on bail at $5 million. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The NXIVM sex cult criminal saga looks to include more people than just Smallville star Allison Mack and the cult’s alleged leader Keith Raniere. A federal prosecutor promised there would be more people charged in the sex-trafficking case.

Allison Mack, her mother, and their lawyers cut a deal with prosecutors late last month that saw Mack released on a five million dollar bond and agreed to stay under house arrest in California. Mack was also ordered to not have contact with other members of NXIVM. She was also ordered to wear an ankle monitor and has lost access to a cell phone and internet access. Along with the deal for Mack to be released under house arrest, Page Six reported that Mack’s lawyers “have been in plea talks on the sex-trafficking and forced-labor conspiracy charges against her.”

Mack was charged with threatening witnesses, tampering, sex trafficking and others from the internal operations of the group. Prosecutors claim that Mack and Raniere abused women via branding, extreme dieting, and sexual abuse. The criminal complaint also notes members had to provide collateral to Mack and Raniere which included nude photos, personal information about friends and families, as well as even rights to certain assets they held. The collateral was allegedly used to keep members silent about the group’s activities.

Reuters reports prosecutors are expected to charge even more people in the sex trafficking case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Moira Kim Penza made this statement at a hearing before U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis in Brooklyn Federal Court:

“We anticipate that there will be additional charges and additional defendants in this case.”

Penza also added that a superseding indictment could be filed within a month. Judge Garaufis scheduled a trial in the case to begin on October 1st, 2018.

As for Raniere has been in jail since he was arrested in Mexico in March. However, his lawyer plans to issue a request to Judge Garaufis for bail. Penza  His lawyer will request that his client is released on bail pending trial. Prosecutors do not plan to consent to any bail request for Raniere.

The federal prosecutor Moira Kim Penza also announced that the police had also seized “a large number of electronic devices and records associated with NXIVM.”  The defendants are expected to receive the evidence today.

While prosecutors have indicated they are open to plea deals, Raniere’s lawyer said they plan to head to trial where he will prove that all allegations made by the prosecutors was “utterly consensual.”

 

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