Goodbye, Mr. Raniere: Camila’s Sworn Statement – the 22 Child Photos Are of Her and Were Taken in 2005!

Camila’s sworn declaration is Exhibit A in the Government’s response to Keith Raniere’s Rule 33 motion for a new trial.

A for adios.

At his trial, an FBI agent identified 22 nude photos Raniere allegedly took of Camila when she was 15. The jury was sold. So was Raniere’s attorney, who all but admitted Raniere took the photos of Camila when she was 15.

Since his conviction on June 19, 2019, Raniere’s ever-dwindling group of followers has argued the Government framed him.

They said Camila didn’t appear at trial, which was suspicious. They claimed the Government did not want her at the trial, for she could prove Raniere was innocent.

She could tell them the 22 photos used to prove child pornography and sexual exploitation predicate acts of racketeering were bogus.

The dates had been changed to frame an innocent Vanguard.

Two years later, on October 27, 2021, at Raniere’s sentencing, Camila made her first public statement. 

Camila said Raniere abused her for over 12 years, starting when she was 13.

She said; “He first had sex with me on September 18, 2005… That first time, which was my first time, I was 15. He was 45.”

Raniere’s followers said this was hogwash. The Government did not charge Raniere with statutory rape.

But the Government did charge him with possession and production of child pornography. For those charges, only the pedigree of the photos mattered, not whether it was right or wrong for a 45-year-old leader, the Vanguard of a life coaching group, whose mission was to make a more noble civilization, to groom, bed, and take nude photographs of a 15-year-old girl whose entire family had relocated from Mexico to follow him.

But wait… Camila said in her victim impact statement at Raniere’s sentencing that he took naked photos of her when she was 15.

“He would often take me to his executive library where he would ask me to take my clothes off before coming up the stairs to the loft as he watched. During these secret meetings when I was still 15, he took naked pictures — naked pictures of me.”

Raniere’s followers rebutted. She was not under oath. She did not have to tell the truth. She did it for the money – the half million in restitution she would get.

And besides, she didn’t identify the 22 photos actually used at trial, which they knew the FBI tampered with.

In fact, by not specifically saying those 22 photos were of her taken by Raniere when she was 15, this was the best proof they ever had that the Government was framing their leader. 

Raniere and his followers grew fervent as they alleged the Government fabricated the photos, changed the metadata to make it appear the photos were taken in 2005, and then planted them on his hard drive to frame him.

His followers said the Government did this because they knew they would lose the case if they did not do something drastic to frame the world’s smartest man.

And his followers paid attorneys to write it and arranged to file his Rule 33 motion for a new trial in May 2022.

Camila came to Brooklyn from Mexico and declared, under penalty of perjury, under the laws of the United States, that the 22 photos are real – and that Raniere took them in 2005 when she was 15.

What will the followers say to that?

Maybe it will be: “You’re all washed up, Keith. You’re sunk, and you’re going to spend the rest of your life in prison, and you know it.”

Well, before we ask them to comment, let us read for the first time, Camila’s full sworn statement – made on June 6, 2022, and revealed publicly just days ago.

********************

By Camila

I am a citizen and resident of Mexico. 

I was identified as Jane Doe 2 in the Second Superseding Indictment in the… criminal proceeding, referred to as “Camila” during the trial of defendant Keith Raniere, and was the victim of three predicate racketeering acts for which Raniere was convicted:

• two acts of sexual exploitation of a child, in violation of I 8 U.S.C. § 2251 (a),
• and one act of possession of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a).

As I stated in my victim statement provided in connection with Raniere’s sentencing, Keith Raniere took sexually explicit photographs of me in 2005, when I was fifteen years old.

I was contacted by an F.B.I. agent in March 2019, who wanted to meet with me to interview me. He also told me that an F.B.I. victim specialist was with him, and she was also available to meet with me.

I wanted to meet with the F.B.I., but I was unsure how to handle it, so I called someone for advice. I was put in touch with Raniere’s counsel who told me it would be a good idea for me to have my own attorney, and that she could make recommendations and ensure that the attorney would not charge me.

I retained an attorney recommended by Raniere’s counsel and told that attorney that I wanted to meet with the F.B.I. investigator and the F.B.I. victim specialist.

My attorney, however, strongly advised me not to meet with either of them, so I did not meet with them.

During the next several months leading up to Raniere’s criminal trial, I told my lawyer several times that I wished to speak with the F.B.I., and each time she would discourage me from doing so.

As I confirmed later, my lawyer was regularly communicating with Raniere’s counsel about me. I firmly believe that my lawyer at the time, in coordination with Raniere’s counsel, intentionally prevented me from having an opportunity to be a witness and have a voice in Raniere’s criminal trial.

I understand that Raniere is now challenging the photographic evidence against him that supported the child exploitation and pornography charges. 

I voluntarily chose to travel to the U.S. to meet with a prosecutor and an F.B.I. agent in this case because I wanted an opportunity to review the Government’s exhibits so that I could determine for myself whether those exhibits were in fact the sexually explicit photographs Raniere took of me when I was fifteen.

On June 6, 2022, I met at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York with Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Hajjar and F.B.I. Special Agent Delise Jeffrey.

Also present were my attorney, Neil L. Glazer, and F.B.I. Victim Specialist Laura Riso.

During the meeting, I was presented with a binder containing photographs that were marked G.X. 518-A through G.X. 518-U.

After reviewing the exhibits, I can state with certainty that I am the subject in each photograph, which were taken in 2005 by Keith Raniere, in the loft at Raniere’s so-called “Executive Library,” which was located at 8 Hale Drive in Clifton Park, New York.

On September 18, 2005, Raniere first had sexual intercourse with me. I know the date of that event because he told me that it would be our “anniversary,” which he required me to observe every year.

After September 18, 2005, Raniere would regularly instruct me to go to 8 Hale Drive, or sometimes to other homes where the residents were away, remove my clothes and wait for him. Sometimes I had to wait hours for him to arrive. When he arrived, he would have sex with me.

During one of those meetings, no more than 2-3 months after September 18, 2005, I was on the bed in the loft with him at 8 Hale Drive and I was naked. I vividly recall him reaching over a ledge next to the bed and grabbing a camera. He then proceeded to position my body and photograph me. I was shocked and confused, and expressed my discomfort, but he did it anyways. It was an unforgettably humiliating and degrading experience.

Each exhibit, G.X. 518-A to G.X. 518-U, is a photograph of me. I recognize my body, and I recall one of the poses he placed me in and where he was with the camera in relation to my body.

I recognize the surroundings, and I remember the feelings of shame and confusion, not understanding why he was doing that to me.

I am certain the photographs were taken in 2005 because it was the only time he took photographs of me like that.

Frank Parlato