(S)ex (C)ults are high-control groups where sexual activity, often coerced or ritualized, forms the core of membership, control, and leader gratification.
Defining Traits
Leaders exploit charisma to demand sex from followers, using “collateral” (nude photos, secrets) for blackmail, as in NXIVM where Keith Raniere branded women “slaves” in a pyramid of masters. Groups isolate recruits, enforce nudity/sex as “enlightenment,” and punish dissent with shaming or expulsion.[reddit +1]
Notable Cases
• NXIVM: Self-help facade hid sex trafficking; Raniere got 120 years for racketeering, forced labor.
• OneTaste: Orgasmic meditation turned exploitative, with leader control over women’s sexuality.
• FLDS: Warren Jeffs arranged underage marriages, convicted of child rape while running polygamy from prison.
These differ from consensual kink communities by lacking exit freedom and imposing non-negotiable abuse.[online.utpb +1]