Nicole Daedone, the founder of OneTaste, and Rachel Cherwitz, the company’s former Head of Sales, have been indicted on Forced Labor charges in Brooklyn federal court — the same court that prosecuted NXIVM.
Frank Parlato broke several important stories on the female sexuality group. He dubbed it “The Fingering Cult,” based on its practice of men wearing rubber gloves and stroking female practitioners’ clitorises for 15 minutes in public gatherings.
The practice was called Orgasmic Meditation or OM.
Groups gather where men digitally stimulate women as a One Taste practice called Orgasmic Meditation. Cherwitz, who lives in Philo, California, was arrested Tuesday morning. Daedone, its founder, has not been arrested and may be outside the USA.
In June 2018, Bloomberg News published “The Dark Side of Orgasmic Meditation.”
The Frank Report first reported on One Taste on September 4, 2018, after a mother who wanted to save her daughter from the cult sought Frank Parlato’s help.
In September 2018, he published “A cult worse than NXIVM? — a mother’s plea to rescue her daughter from ‘OneTaste!.'”
The first story led to new information from sources, and Frank Report published a series of articles that helped expose the coercive and allegedly illegal tactics used to lure young women into what could be sex trafficking and forced labor.
More on the ‘cult’ that may be worse than NXIVM – OneTaste
The ‘fingering’ cult: A reader’s experience of OneTaste – is not very tasteful at all
Source: ‘The fingering cult’ – OneTaste – requires NDA’s, arranges fake marriages, much like NXIVM
Parlato detailed how One Taste offered classes such as:
Checking Out a Turn-On event: $10+
OMXperience conference: $195 – $395+
Women-focused Training: $495+
Men-focused Training: $495+
Mastery Program: $7,500+
Train to Become a Coach: $15,000 and up.
One Taste closed its recruitment centers, where the public fingering occurred, but began recruiting on the internet, and developed its own APP to recruit the public.
Finally, FR reported on the FBI’s investigation on November 14, 2018, in an article titled “FBI launches investigation into One Taste – the ‘Fingering Cult.'”
Nicole Daedone recently re-appeared publicly to promote Orgasmic Mediation
In November 2022, Netflix aired the documentary “Orgasm Inc.: The Story of OneTaste. “
Juda Engelmayer
Although it is unknown who will legally represent the One Taste defendants, Frank Report learned that Juda Englemayer, a premier NYC crisis manager, has handled publicity for One Taste. Englemayer also represents Clare Bronfman, Harvey Weinstein, and Anna Sorokin.
Englemayer has his work cut out for him.
Parlato is investigating allegations that women who began as recruits quit their jobs and became immersed in One Taste’s world of sexual activities.
In one case, One Taste arranged for a woman to be available for a couple who paid $10,000 per month to the company. In contrast, the woman made less than minimum wage, with large deductions from her wages taken as repayment for One Taste classes.
After almost five years of investigation, the United States Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District issued this press release on June 6, 2023:
DOJ Press Release
OneTaste Founder and Former Head of Sales Indicted for Forced Labor Conspiracy
Daedone And Cherwitz Allegedly Obtained Labor of OneTaste Members by Coercing Them and Grooming Them to Engage In Sexual Acts with Current and Prospective Investors, Clients, Employees, and Beneficiaries
An indictment was unsealed this morning in federal court in Brooklyn charging Nicole Daedone, founder and former Chief Executive Officer, and Rachel Cherwitz, former Head of Sales, of OneTaste, Inc. (OneTaste), a wellness education company founded in San Francisco, California.
Daedone and Cherwitz are both charged with forced labor conspiracy in connection with a years-long scheme to obtain the labor and services of a group of OneTaste members—including volunteers, contractors, and employees of OneTaste—by subjecting them to economic, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse, surveillance, indoctrination, and intimidation.
Cherwitz was arrested this morning and is expected to appear in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California this afternoon. Cherwitz will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date. Daedone remains at large.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the charges.
“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 U.S. Attorney Peace. “This prosecution should serve as a reminder to both employer and employee that no matter the marketing mantra, this conduct is never acceptable.”
“The defendants advertised their company as being able to help individuals recover from past trauma. In reality, they allegedly targeted their victims in order to manipulate them not only into debt but to limit their independence and create a reliance on OneTaste for basic needs. The FBI will continue to ensure that anyone willing to engage in a forced labor schemes are held accountable in the criminal justice system,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
OneTaste
As alleged in the indictment and court documents, OneTaste branded itself as a sexuality-focused wellness education company founded by Nicole Daedone in 2004. From approximately 2004 through 2018, OneTaste generated revenue by providing courses, coaching and events related to so-called wellness practices, in exchange for a fee. Many OneTaste members lived in residential warehouses where they participated in courses and experimented sexually.
At various points in time, OneTaste maintained operations in, among other locations, New York City, 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, Harlem, Hells Kitchen, Soho and West Village neighborhoods.
Daedone served as the Chief Executive Officer and a leader of OneTaste from the company’s founding until approximately 2017. Rachel Cherwitz served as OneTaste’s Head of Sales from approximately 2009 through 2018.
The Scheme
As alleged in the indictment, between approximately 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 who were volunteers, contractors, and employees of OneTaste. Daedone and Cherwitz intentionally targeted for recruitment to OneTaste individuals who had suffered prior trauma and advertised that OneTaste’s courses and teachings could heal past sexual trauma and dysfunction. If the members could not afford OneTaste’s courses—which ranged from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars each—Daedone and Cherwitz induced the OneTaste members to incur debt, and at times directly assisted the OneTaste members in opening new credit cards, to pay for them.
Daedone and Cherwitz also undertook tactics designed to render the OneTaste members dependent on OneTaste for their shelter and basic necessities, and to limit the OneTaste members’ independence and control. Among other things, they subjected the OneTaste members to constant surveillance in communal homes and collected deeply sensitive and personal information about them which the defendants then used to render the OneTaste members emotionally, socially and psychologically dependent on OneTaste. They isolated the OneTaste members from their support networks by breaking up established relationships and assigning them to move to new locations on short notice. While employing such tactics, Daedone and Cherwitz demanded absolute commitment to Daedone, including by exalting Daedone’s teachings and ideology. 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.
Upon securing the allegiance of the OneTaste members through these tactics, Daedone and Cherwitz engaged in abusive employment practices. For example, Daedone, Cherwitz and other OneTaste leaders promised to pay the OneTaste members wages and commissions for work performed on behalf of OneTaste and subsequently failed to pay the OneTaste members the amounts owed, or changed the OneTaste members’ employment statuses or locations without advance notice. Daedone and Cherwitz also recruited and groomed OneTaste members to engage in sexual acts with OneTaste’s current and prospective investors, clients, employees and beneficiaries, for the financial benefit of OneTaste and, in turn, themselves.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Daedone and Cherwitz each face a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment.
If you believe you are or may be a victim in this case, please call the FBI New York’s main line at 212-384-4677.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren H. Elbert, Gillian Kassner, Devon Lash and Jonathan Siegel are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Anna November.
The Defendants:
NICOLE DAEDONE
Age: 56
San Diego, California
RACHEL CHERWITZ
Age: 43
Philo, California
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-146 (DG)
