An ‘orgasmic meditation’ sex guru accused of keeping women in residential warehouses and forcing them into sex acts was surrounded by an entourage as she headed to court on Wednesday.
Nicole Daedone, former CEO of ‘sexual wellness’ company OneTaste, smiled for the cameras as she was flanked by 13 people on her way to the hearing at the Brooklyn Federal Court.
She founded the San Francisco-based firm in 2004 and it soon became renowned for orgasmic meditation (OM) which promised to help clients ‘reclaim their sexuality.’
Her top lieutenant Rachel Cherwitz, 43, who was former head of sales, was alongside her and both were hit with a federal indictment on June 6.
The pair are charged with conspiracy to violate federal laws prohibiting the use of forced labor and both pleaded not guilty to one count of forced labor conspiracy.
Nicole Daedone (center) was flanked by unknown associates as she headed to Brooklyn Federal Court for a hearing on Wednesday
The ‘orgasmic meditation’ sex guru is accused of keeping women in residential warehouses and forcing them into sex acts
Her top lieutenant Rachel Cherwitz, 43, (center) who was former head of sales, was alongside her and both were hit with a federal indictment on June 6
Prosecutors say the alleged victims were kept under surveillance and made dependent on Daedone and Cherwitz for shelter and basic necessities.
Daedone and Cherwitz have been accused of forcing volunteers, contractors, and employees into sex acts using cult-like tactics.
The former chief executive’s lawyer Reid Weingarten plans to challenge the indictment and told US District Judge Diane Gujarati that the criminal charge lacks details.
‘Who are they saying were the victims?’ he asked in the hearing. ‘Who are the slaves that we enslaved?’
Both Daedone and Cherwitz pleaded not guilty to one count of forced labor conspiracy.
Jenny Kramer, an attorney representing Cherwitz, told Judge Gujarati her client denied the charges.
She was arrested on June 6 in California, while Daedone remained at large and was believed to be overseas prior to turning herself in.
Daedone was flanked by a team of five women as she surrendered herself to the police on June 13. She was later arraigned on the same afternoon.
Prosecutors say that between 2004 and 2018, Daedone and Cherwitz deployed a series of abusive and manipulative tactics in order to obtain the labor and services of a group of OneTaste members, including volunteers, contractors, and employees.
The indictment alleges that the duo used tactics designed to render the OneTaste members dependent on the group for their shelter and basic necessities, and to limit members’ independence and control.
Members of OM were allegedly kept in ‘residential warehouses’ where they were forced into sex acts.
OM involves a woman, naked from the waist down, having her clitoris ‘stroked’ for exactly 15 minutes by a man, either her own partner or another paying customer.
Prosecutors say the alleged victims were subjected to ‘constant surveillance’ and isolated from friends and family.
‘While employing such tactics, Daedone and Cherwitz demanded absolute commitment to the CEO, including by exalting Daedone’s teachings and ideology,’ the Justice Department said in a statement.
The pair are charged with conspiracy to violate federal laws prohibiting the use of forced labor and both pleaded not guilty to one count of forced labor conspiracy
The former chief executive’s lawyer Reid Weingarten plans to challenge the indictment and told US District Judge Diane Gujarati that the criminal charge lacks details
It is claimed that Daedone was a ‘messianic’ figure at the center of the conspiracy
It is claimed that Daedone was a ‘messianic’ figure at the center of the conspiracy.
‘As part of this ideology, Daedone and Cherwitz instructed the OneTaste members to engage in sexual acts — including acts the members found uncomfortable or repulsive — as a requirement to supposedly obtain freedom and enlightenment and demonstrate their commitment to OneTaste and Daedone,’ the statement added.
Prosecutors say they extracted forced labor from group members who were subjected to ‘economic, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse, surveillance, indoctrination, and intimidation.’
If convicted, Daedone and Cherwitz each face a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment.
Prosecutors say that when members could no longer afford OneTaste classes, they were pressured to take on debt, and that at times Daedone and Cherwitz even assisted them in opening new credit cards.
‘Under the guise of empowerment and wellness, the defendants are alleged to have sought complete control over their employees’ lives, including by driving them into debt and directing them to perform sexual acts while also withholding wages,’ said Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
‘This prosecution should serve as a reminder to both employer and employee that no matter the marketing mantra, this conduct is never acceptable,’ added Peace.
Julia Gatto, attorney for Daedone, denied the shocking allegations against her client.
‘Nicole Daedone is a ceiling-shattering feminist entrepreneur who built and grew a company like no other supporting and embracing female sexuality, female worth and female empowerment.
‘The idea that this woman at this company engaged in forced labor is as far from the truth and reality as one can comprehend. She pleaded not guilty today, she’s not guilty.’
In a statement to DailyMail.com two weeks ago, current OneTaste CEO Anjuli Ayer slammed the charges as ‘unfounded’ and the result of a ‘misogynistic, media-driven campaign to tear down a feminine empowerment project and the women who devoted their lives to it.’
OM exploded in popularity following a 2009 New York Times profile of OneTaste, and at one point the company was reportedly raking in $12 million a year from eager clients.
It is claimed that Daedone was a ‘messianic’ figure at the center of the conspiracy
In December, Daedone illustrated the intimate hands-on techniques on her associate Cherwitz, who lay naked on a raised table in front of an audience of 200
An OM class is seen above, in which a woman, naked from the waist down, has her clitoris methodically ‘stroked’ for exactly 15 minutes by a man
But in 2018, the FBI launched an investigation when ex-customers came forward saying they were left in debt after paying for expensive classes, and former employees said they were told to engage in sexual relations with potential clients to close sales.
OneTaste and current CEO Ayer are not accused of wrongdoing, with Ayer telling DailyMail.com: ‘We have cooperated with the Eastern District of New York throughout the investigation.
‘We are appalled by this long-term, misogynistic, media-driven campaign to tear down a feminine empowerment project and the women who devoted their lives to it,’ she said.
‘OneTaste is a women-led organization that has devoted itself to wellness, healing, inclusion and personal growth, and has always focused on female empowerment at its core,’ the statement added.
At one point, OneTaste operated centers in cities including New York, San Francisco, Denver, Las Vegas, Boulder, Los Angeles, Austin and London.
In New York City, OneTaste leased residences and hosted events in several different locations, including in Brooklyn and the Manhattan neighborhoods of Harlem, Hell’s Kitchen, Soho and West Village.
Daedone has previously denied that she ran a sex cult, telling the Mail on Sunday last year: ‘I want to continue the work of getting OM into the world. It is such a powerful practice and we have a world that is so starved of something that will bring a fundamental connection.’
Following the disturbing allegations that emerged in a 2018 Bloomberg report, Daedone has mostly maintained a low profile, and OneTaste all but disappeared from public view.
