Cybercrime analysts of a convicted sex trafficker say evidence in some of the most shocking charges against him was tampered with and memories that were supposed to be kept safe by the FBI, according to court documents. He said it was embedded in the drive.
NXIVM sex cult founder Keith Raniere, 64, is serving a 120-year sentence at a federal prison in Tuscon, Arizona. Prosecutors said the suspect recruited women and girls to a sex cult disguised as a self-help group. He had an “inner circle” consisting of “slaves” and “masters.” Some women branded Raniere's initials onto their bodies. Prosecutors allege that the suspect kept the domestic servant locked up in his room for nearly two years.
One survivor, India Oxenberg, told the Fox News True Crime Podcast that she endured “inhumane” treatment, including “repeated sexual abuse and rape,” before fleeing the cult with her mother. Ta.
The FBI declined to comment when contacted by FOX News Digital.
Keith Raniere, founder of self-help group NXIVM, sentenced to 120 years in prison for sex trafficking
Former NXIVM leader Keith Raniere was arrested in 2019 on seven charges, including extortion, racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, forced labor conspiracy, sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy, and attempted sex trafficking. Convicted. (YouTube)
In addition to the abuse of the adult victims, federal prosecutors allege Raniere was 45 years old and the child victim, identified only as Camila, was 15 years old and that Raniere photographed and sexually abused her. Indicted.
Joseph Talley, Raniere's lead attorney, told Fox News Digital that the evidence used to convict his client on the “most heinous” charges of child pornography and child exploitation was “obviously” tampered with by the FBI. , said it was fabricated.
“If we can hold a hearing, as outrageous as it may seem, we can show the world that this falsification actually happened, and that it actually happened while in FBI custody. “Deaf,” he said.
At issue are dozens of photos stored on memory cards and hard drives, and defense experts believe the timestamps on those photos have been altered to indicate that the young woman was under the age of consent at the time the photos were taken. They claim that they are pretending that it never happened. Additional photos allegedly appeared in FBI forensic reports between April 2019 and June 2019, according to court filings.
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Prominent constitutional law lawyer Alan Dershowitz, who is not part of Raniere's team, consulted with his lawyer after learning of the FBI's fraud allegations.
He told Fox News Digital that if Raniere's experts are correct, this amounts to “stunning misconduct by the government.” If the allegations are true, it could have an impact on other cases as well.
Former neighbors are 'terrified' after sex cult convict Keith Raniere is accused in documents of poisoning women in his home
The NXIVM Executive Success Programs sign is located outside the office at 455 New Karner Road. April 26, 2018, Albany, New York NXIVM founder Keith Raniere was arrested by the FBI in Mexico in March 2018. (Amy Luke/Getty Images)
Sex cult members detail forced kissing and branding
He said the delay in introducing child charges tilted the case in favor of prosecutors.
“They allegedly filed a very, very, very weak case against the defendant, very weak. The defendant could have easily won the case, but at the last moment, they They claim they 'discovered' naked photos of women who were 'underage,''' he said in an interview on Fox News Digital. “Now, if you present evidence that involves an underage female, the case will be over.”
Another defendant reportedly agreed to a plea deal almost immediately. Four other co-defendants also ultimately chose to plead.
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But in a series of statements filed in federal court last month, defense experts said the photos were taken when the woman was over the age of consent and doctored to make them appear to have been taken earlier. claims.
“Why not have a hearing? This doesn't just concern Mr. Raniere. It concerns every American,” Dershowitz said. “If anyone is in prison for tampering with government evidence, it's the Soviet Union. It's Iran. It's China. It's not the United States.”
Nicki Klein defends NXIVM sex cult leader Keith Raniere, calling him her ex-partner for “over 10 years”
Claire Bronfman, heiress to the Seagram liquor empire, arrives for a hearing on charges related to the Albany-based organization NXIVM in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, on July 25, 2018. (Reuters/Brendan McDiarmid)
The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the defense experts' findings. The U.S. attorney's office in charge of the case declined to comment. A response in court is not scheduled until Jan. 27.
It's unclear why the FBI and federal prosecutors allegedly framed Mr. Raniere, but Mr. Talley, who wrote a book in 2018 about corruption in the criminal justice system, said his client had very wealthy enemies and was simply unpopular. He said it was just that.
“They were like, 'We want to get him,'” he told FOX News Digital. “If the popular person at school wants to make the poor kids with holes in their shoes the laughing stock of the school, that's what they do. Even if I get a law degree, it won't change.''I want to get my degree and become a prosecutor. ”
Newsweek first reported the allegations in late December, but Raniere has still not been given a hearing nearly a month later.
Actress Allison Mack appeared in U.S. Eastern District Court on May 4, 2018, following a bail hearing on sex trafficking charges filed in Brooklyn, New York. The actress, known for her role on “Smallville,” was charged with sex trafficking along with alleged cult leader Keith Raniere. (Countess Jemal/Getty Images)
“And the government is hell-bent on not holding hearings,” Dershowitz said. “They put it on the public record that seven experts, including some who worked for the FBI, that they use to get convictions against people, say this is tampered evidence. I don't want to leave it behind.”
Raniere's lawyers are seeking a new trial. They argued in a court filing that “the government used intentionally falsified evidence to secure a conviction” based on the conclusions of seven experts.
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Mr. Raniere bills himself as a wellness guru, and his programs have drawn prominent women into his orbit. Those include actress Allison Mack and Seagram heiress Claire Bronfman, both of whom were found guilty of lesser crimes. Critics have called NXIVM a cult centered on sex trafficking and abuse.
The central charge in the extortion case against Raniere was that he had a sexual relationship with Camila, an alleged 15-year-old girl. He was sentenced to 120 years in prison.
WATCH: NXIVM cult survivors speak out about mental and physical abuse
Dr. Richard Kuiper, a leading cybersecurity and digital evidence expert and former FBI agent, says in a 59-page affidavit that while the defense was reviewing the case, he “manually altered evidence.” “We have discovered specific actions taken in order to do so.” and supports the prosecution's argument.
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“In my 20 years of service as an FBI agent, I have never observed or alleged that FBI personnel tampered with evidence, digital or otherwise,” he wrote. “However, in this case, I strongly believe that the multiple intentional changes to the digital information that I discovered amount to evidence manipulation.”
