Keith Raniere, the sex-obsessed Svengali at the helm of the upstate cult Nxivm, has vowed to protest his innocence at his sentencing in Brooklyn federal court Tuesday.
Also set to address the judge are about 10 victims of the 60-year-old sex-trafficker, who faces up to life behind bars for masquerading as a self-help guru while leading the twisted secret group and abusing scores of members, including by branding some of them with his initials.
Raniere, asked by TV’s “Dateline” in an interview that aired last week if he planned to speak at his sentencing, replied, “Yes, I’m innocent.
“And although it is — this is a horrible tragedy, with many, many people being hurt — I think the main thrust of this has been the oppression,” he said, referring to his rights.
“There is a horrible injustice here,’’ Raniere said. “And whether you think I’m the devil or not, the justice process has to be examined.”
The convict’s lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, told The Post on Monday, “He has the constitutional right to speak to the judge, and I expect that he will do so.”
Raniere faces 15 years to life in prison after being found guilty by a Brooklyn federal jury last year of charges related to his running of the Albany-based group and physically and mentally scarring some female followers for life.
He was convicted of all of the seven felony counts against him, including sex-trafficking, racketeering, possession of child pornography and forced labor.
Raniere “portrayed himself as a savant and a genius” — yet was nothing more than “a massive manipulator, a con man and the crime boss of a cult-like organization involving sex trafficking, child pornography, extortion-compelled abortions, branding, degradation and humiliation,” then-Brooklyn US Attorney Richard Donohue said after the silver-tongued fraudster was convicted.
Among those expected to deliver victim impact statements at Raniere’s sentencing are a former sex slave only identified as Camila, one of her relatives and India Oxenberg, the daughter of blueblood TV “Dynasty” actress Catherine Oxenberg, a well-placed source said.
Camila was just 15 when she was recruited by Raniere from Mexico, prosecutors have said.
Raniere also brought along Camila’s two older sisters with them to New York — and had sex with each of the siblings, the feds said.
One of the sisters, Daniela, was kept in a room for two years — to atone for falling in love with another man, prosecutors said at Raniere’s trial in January 2019.
India Oxenberg broke her silence in the case earlier this month — saying she was raped by Raniere and among those branded with his initials as part of Nxivm’s sex-slave group.
“He’s a predator,” she said.
What was pitched to her as a female-empowerment group within Nxivm was really “a trap and a ploy for Keith to enslave women for his own sexual desires,” she said.
Oxenberg said she was lured to the group by former “Smallville’’ TV actress Allison Mack.
Mack, who pleaded guilty to racketeering in the case last year, has yet to be sentenced.