https://nypost.com/2019/04/04/nxivm-prosecutors-admit-they-unknowingly-reproduced-child-porn/
NXIVM prosecutors admit they unknowingly reproduced child porn
Prosecutors overseeing the Nxivm case admitted in court Thursday that they accidentally replicated child porn — a federal crime — while turning over mountains of evidence to defense attorneys.
The bombshell mistake was revealed after a lawyer for accused sex cult leader Keith Raniere told Brooklyn federal court judge Nicholas Garaufis there’d been a recent “technical issue” as prosecutors turned over discovery in the case — where Raniere is accused of manufacturing kiddie porn.
“There was an issue regarding one of the discovery devices,” defense attorney Marc Agnifilo told the court, before offering the floor to Assistant US Attorney Moira Penza.
“We did not know there were child pornography images on the device,” Penza said of the unspecified device, which was turned over to defense sometime last week. “We reproduced the device.”
“The FBI is working to create a new device,” she added sheepishly, saying the defense will have the cleaned-up evidence promptly.
Garaufis showed no reaction to the felonious flub, while Agnifilo characterized the mistake to “mere inadvertence” — but requested they get the relevant evidence back promptly, ahead of April 29 openings.
Raniere was newly accused last month of engaging in a sexually explicit relationship with a 15-year-old girl and producing images of their encounters.
A new indictment charged him with manufacturing child porn and linked co-defendants — including Seagram’s heiress Clare Bronfman and “Smallville” actress Allison Mack — to the sickening crimes under a racketeering conspiracy count.
Both Bronfman and Mack are seeking separate trials, though the judge has yet to rule on those requests.
Prosecutors say Raniere’s now-adult victim went on to become a member of Nxivm’s secret society, DOS, which is accused of branding women and grooming them to have sex with Raniere.
Opening statements are scheduled for April 29.