OneTaste sex guru Nicole Daedone is charged with federal crimes

The charismatic sex guru who once gained a devoted following for her controversial ‘orgasmic meditation’ classes has been criminally charged with running a forced labor scheme.

Nicole Daedone, 56, and her top lieutenant Rachel Cherwitz, 43, were charged in a federal indictment unsealed on Tuesday in New York, accusing them of forcing OneTaste members into sex acts using cult-like tactics. 

Daedone was the ‘messianic’ guru who in 2004 co-founded OneTaste, a San Francisco-based sexual wellness company specializing in orgasmic meditation (OM), which promised to help clients ‘reclaim their sexuality’. 

The practice involves a woman, naked from the waist down, having her clitoris methodically ‘stroked’ for exactly 15 minutes by a man, either her own partner or another paying customer.

Cherwitz, who was the head of sales for OneTaste, was arrested on Tuesday morning in California, while Daedone remains at large and is believed to be overseas, according to court filings. 

Sex guru Nicole Daedone is currently at large after being hit with US federal criminal charges

OneTaste founder Nicole Daedone, 56, (left) and her top lieutenant Rachel Cherwitz, 43, (right) were charged in a federal indictment accusing them of extracting forced labor

OneTaste founder Nicole Daedone, 56, (left) and her top lieutenant Rachel Cherwitz, 43, (right) were charged in a federal indictment accusing them of extracting forced labor

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.

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. 

Now, 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.

Many OneTaste members lived in ‘residential warehouses’ where they participated in courses and experimented sexually, and prosecutors say they were subjected to ‘constant surveillance’ and isolated from friends and family.

‘While employing such tactics, Daedone and Cherwitz demanded absolute commitment to Daedone, including by exalting Daedone’s teachings and ideology,’ the Justice Department said in a statement.

‘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.’ 

Daedone and Cherwitz are each charged with conspiracy to violate federal laws prohibiting the use of forced labor. 

If convicted, Daedone and Cherwitz each face a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment. 

The company used to have several buildings in San Francisco, including a cafe, an events space and communal housing known as 'OM houses' where between 30-40 staff would live together. Pictured, one of the properties once used as OneTaste dormitories

The company used to have several buildings in San Francisco, including a cafe, an events space and communal housing known as ‘OM houses’ where between 30-40 staff would live together. Pictured, one of the properties once used as OneTaste dormitories 

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

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

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

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

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. 

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, Hells Kitchen, Soho and West Village. 

‘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. 

Prosecutors say that Daedone served as the CEO and a leader of OneTaste from the company’s founding until approximately 2017, while Cherwitz served as head of sales from roughly 2009 through 2018. 

Cherwitz was due to appear in US District Court for the Northern District of California on Tuesday, and faces extradition to New York, where the charges were filed. It was unclear whether she had an attorney to speak on her behalf.

Daedone remains at large, and did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment from DailyMail.com. Court filings indicate that the US government believes she is currently outside the country.

She 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.

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'

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’

In 2020, the controversy resurfaced when the BBC published a podcast called The Orgasm Cult, exploring the company’s journey from ‘fringe origins to sleek wellness stardom, to an investigation by the FBI’. 

Last year, a Netflix documentary with a similar focus also brought OneTaste back into the spotlight. 

But in December 2022, DailyMail.com was there as she gave a special live demonstration her OM technique at the Playa Studios in Culver City, California.

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. 

The event was part of an attempt to ‘rebrand’ OneTaste and launch one-day courses in Los Angeles and New York costing $149. 

In remarks following the event, Dadone told DailyMail.com that she was attempting to rebrand OneTaste as less about sex and more about science.

As for the backlash she experienced, she said: ‘I realized I fundamentally wasn’t communicating what we were really doing. And so we’re really focused on the science, so that people can understand it in a different way.’

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