Sex-Focused Wellness Leaders Convicted of forced Labor Charges
Conviction of Executives from 'Orgasmic Meditation' Enterprise
Miss Nicole Daedone, once the head honcho of OneTaste Inc, and Rachel Cherwitz, the company's former sales director, have been slapped with a guilty verdict for federal forced labor charges. This verdict was announced by a jury in Brooklyn, following a swift five-week trial and two days of deliberation. Each convict now faces a potential punishment of up to 20 years in prison.
The prosecution accused the duo of running a lengthy scheme, which targeted trauma survivors - a vulnerable population, notoriously roped into servitude. These victims were lured into performing tasks that they found, at times, disconcerting or repugnant - tasks such as partaking in sexual activities with potential investors or clients.
The accused contended that these questionable acts were instrumental in obtaining "freedom" and "enlightenment," principles they urged their devotees to uphold. Prosecutors also alleged that the company failed to pay members their rightful earnings and, in some instances, even forced them to acquire new credit cards to continue enrolling in OneTaste courses.
Assistant US Attorney Nina Gupta, in her concluding statement, asserted, "The defendants capitalized on their victims, extracting from them their money, their time, their bodies, their dignity, and ultimately their sanity."
US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Joseph Nocella, stated, "The jury's verdict has put Daedone and Cherwitz in their true light: exploitative schemers who duped their victims under the false promise of sexual empowerment and well-being, only to manipulate them into working for their benefit."
Daedone's defense team portrayed her as a trailblazing feminist businesswoman who founded a unique firm around women's sexuality and empowerment. Cherwitz's lawyer Celia Cohen contended that witnesses who testified were not coerced but chose the organization with full knowledge of its objectives. She further stated, "Regardless of how you feel about OneTaste and its practices, they chose it. They understood what it was about."
The lawyers for both defendants expressed their displeasure with the verdict, stating that they plan to appeal, citing complex legal issues that warrant further scrutiny.
Established in 2004, OneTaste Inc. was a self-help commune in San Francisco that placed primacy on female orgasms as a conduit for sexual and psychological wellness and interpersonal connection. The company's signature practice was the "orgasmic meditation" (OM), which involved men manually stimulating women in a group setting. Wildly popular in the 2010s, OneTaste extended its presence to cities like Los Angeles and London, generating revenue through workshops, retreats, coaching programs, and fees for OM events and other sexual activities.
Daedone sold her stake in the company in 2017 for a whopping $12 million, just a year before scrutiny fell upon OneTaste's marketing and labor practices. Post the conviction, the company rebranded itself as The Institute of OM Foundation, with the new owners declaring that the charges were unjust and maintaining that sexual consent had always been a cornerstone of their operations. The organization did not respond to an email requesting comment. [1][2][3][4]
- Despite claiming to prioritize general-news topics like health-and-wellness, sexual-health, and well-being, the revamped Institute of OM Foundation, formerly known as OneTaste Inc, has been entangled in criminal charges and controversy surrounding forced labor and exploitation.
- The accusations against the institute's former leaders, Miss Nicole Daedone and Rachel Cherwitz, extend beyond sexual activities to include financial misconduct, as alleged victims were allegedly pressured to acquire new credit cards for courses and failed to receive their rightful earnings.
- Beyond the realm of science and business, the case of OneTaste Inc highlights the complexities of crime-and-justice issues and the grey areas exploited by some individuals, claiming to promote wellness and feminism, while perpetrating acts of forced labor and financial duress.
