Sex Guru Jailed Nine Years For Forced Labor Scheme

Nicole Daedone , the co-founder of OneTaste Inc., was sentenced to nine years in federal prison on June 13, 2023, in Brooklyn, New York, after a court found her role in a forced labor conspiracy.

U.S. District Court Judge Diane Gujarati also ordered Daedone to forfeit $12 million. The judge further directed that seven victims receive about $890,000 in restitution, according to the ruling.

Prosecutors said the conduct was presented as a wellness and empowerment program but functioned as a scheme that targeted vulnerable women. The court found that Daedone used coercion to compel individuals to perform sex acts with clients and investors, and that the conduct caused substantial financial and emotional harm.

Joseph Nocella, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said coercion remains exploitation and a crime even when it is framed as wellness. The case was handled in federal court in New York, where the sentencing was issued.

Daedone’s defense asked for a two-year sentence, pointing to her lack of a prior criminal record and citing numerous letters submitted in support of her. Judge Gujarati rejected arguments that the conduct should be viewed as enlightenment or as operating in a different dimension, emphasizing that the actions were criminal.

Daedone’s lawyers said they plan to appeal the conviction. A co-conspirator, Rachel Cherwitz , received a six-and-a-half-year sentence for her involvement in the same matter.