Woman implicated in sex slave case quietly pleads guilty
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A woman implicated in the sex-trafficking case against an upstate New York self-help group has quietly pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges.
Lauren Salzman entered the plea this week at a hearing that wasn't on the court calendar. Afterward, a judge agreed to seal a transcript until parts of it could be blacked out.
The U.S. attorney's office declined to comment on Friday about how the plea was handled.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Salzman was one of the four co-defendants of Keith Raniere, the leader of the group called NXIVM (NEHK'-see-uhm), which has been compared to a cult. He has denied charges he had sex slaves who were branded with his initials.
Prosecutors this month added charges accusing Raniere of exploiting teenage girls. That sparked speculation his co-defendants might agree to cooperate against him.