Earlier this week, the Brooklyn federal court saw the end of a provocative trial that culminated in the conviction of Nicole Daedone, founder of the sexual wellness education company OneTaste, and former head of sales, Rachel Cherwitz. The duo was found guilty on counts of forced labor conspiracy, a verdict met after deliberations of a five-week trial.
The company, which began in 2004 and operated out of San Francisco with branches across major cities, including New York and London, promoted a unique form of sexual wellness through practice known as "orgasmic mediation". Yet, beneath this veneer of wellness and self-discovery, a darker narrative played out – one where the defendants were found to have used deception, economic and sexual abuse, and other means to, not only manipulate their employees into unpaid labor but also to service them in a variety of ways.
In a statement obtained by the U.S. Department of Justice, Acting United States Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. branded the defendants as "grifters" and accused them of exploiting victims under the guise of sexual empowerment. "The jury’s verdict has unmasked Daedone and Cherwitz for who they truly are: grifters who preyed on vulnerable victims by making empty promises of sexual empowerment and wellness only to manipulate them into performing labor and services for the defendants’ benefit," Nocella stated.
The accusations outlined coercive strategies including indoctrination, intensive surveillance, and the manipulation of personal trauma, to place victims into a state of emotional dependence on OneTaste. Witnesses described how they were forcefully indebted and threatened with dire consequences to compel them to provide various forms of labor – including sexual services – to benefit OneTaste's financial and client relations interests. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, victims were often expected to work excessively, without just compensation, and were leveraged against threats of financial and spiritual ruin.
The depth of the abuse was further highlighted by the coercive tactics used by Daedone and Cherwitz, as detailed in testimonies. Some employees were subjected to "perform demeaning sex acts at his direction," said the victims, referring to the initial investor in OneTaste and Daedone's boyfriend. This nefarious abuse and manipulation for the defendants' financial gain, ultimately led to the sale of OneTaste for a reported $12 million in 2017, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The case has been handily managed by the Office's Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Section, with Assistant United States Attorneys Kayla C. Bensing, Kaitlin T. Farrell, Nina C. Gupta, and Sean Michael Fern leading the prosecution, alongside their paralegal team. Sentencing for Daedone and Cherwitz is pending, but they each face up to 20 years imprisonment for their crimes against their workers.
