Case Details
Full Name: Nicole Daedone
State: New York
District: Eastern District of New York
Defendants: Nicole Daedone and Rachel Cherwitz
Case Number: 1:23-cr-00146
Type of Case: Criminal
Initiation Date: 03/04/2023
Disposition: Convicted
Case Status: 9 years (108 months) federal prison
Sentence: Government seeking 240 months (statutory maximum).
Time Served: N/A
Release Date: N/A
Case Summary
Daedone, founder and CEO of OneTaste, was convicted after a five-week trial before Judge Diane Gujarati in Brooklyn. Both Daedone and Cherwitz were remanded immediately upon conviction and have been held since. OneTaste promoted orgasmic meditation; as a sexual wellness practice. The government alleged a decade-plus forced labor conspiracy using psychological coercion, indoctrination, surveillance, and financial manipulation.
Problems with the Case
WW presents the case as an expansive use of trafficking law against belief-driven communities.
(1) No physical restraint — all nine government witnesses testified they were free to leave at anytime;
(2) Novel legal theory — the jury was explicitly told it did not need to find actual harm occurred;
(3) FBI obtained stolen privileged corporate documents and judge ruled defendants lacked standing to challenge their use;
(4) Government seeks sentence enhancements at sentencing for uncharged criminal sexual abuse (18 U.S.C. § 2242) never presented to the jury; (5) Government's own guideline calculation is 2 years; Probation recommends nearly 20 years.
Forfeiture: $12 million
Restitution: ~$887,877 to victims
