Context:

Nicole Daedone and Rachel Cherwitz, leaders of the 'Orgasmic Meditation' group OneTaste, were convicted of coercing vulnerable employees into performing degrading sex acts for little or no pay, under the guise of female empowerment. The five-week trial revealed that OneTaste fostered an abusive work environment, with employees coerced into paying for expensive courses and engaging in sexual activities, including orgasmic meditation, as part of their job. The prosecution presented testimony from numerous women who claimed they were brainwashed into believing there was no life outside of OneTaste, shaping their identities and discouraging monogamous relationships. Despite the absence of typical coercive acts like threats of violence, the verdict reflected an expansive definition of coercion. Both women face up to 20 years in prison, though they plan to appeal, with Daedone claiming her work was for spiritual liberation and wrongly characterized during the trial.

Dive Deeper:

• Nicole Daedone founded OneTaste in 2004 with the aim of addressing the sexual satisfaction gap between men and women, promoting orgasmic meditation as a central practice. This involved a man stroking a woman's genitals for 15 minutes, which gained popularity and led to the expansion of the company across multiple cities.

• Accusations of an abusive work environment at OneTaste emerged over time, with reports of employees incurring debt to pay for courses and working without pay in an attempt to settle their financial obligations. This led to the closure of OneTaste's U.S. locations in 2018, though it briefly continued operating in London.

• Federal prosecutors charged Daedone and Cherwitz in 2023 with forced labor conspiracy, alleging they recruited and abused vulnerable women, coercing them into expensive courses and sexual activities under the guise of enlightenment and empowerment.

• The trial featured testimony from women who worked for OneTaste, detailing how the company shaped their identities and manipulated their beliefs, discouraging monogamous relationships and emphasizing the necessity of orgasmic meditation.

• Despite the absence of traditional coercion tactics, such as blackmail or threats, the jury embraced a broad definition of coercion, convicting Daedone and Cherwitz for their manipulative practices.

• Daedone maintained her innocence, asserting her spiritual aim of liberation for all people, and criticized the indictment as a mischaracterization of her work, while projecting confidence and defiance in the face of the criminal charges.

• The prosecution argued that Daedone's teachings were part of the crime, manipulating her employees into unwavering compliance and submission, leading them to sacrifice their money, time, bodies, and dignity.