SAN FRANCISCO—Nicole Daedone, 58, founder of sexual wellness company, OneTaste, was sentenced 9 years to federal prison on Monday, March 30 for forced labor conspiracy. Former sales head, Rachel Cherwitz, 45, was sentenced to 6.5 years. Brooklyn federal judge Diane Gujarati granted a motion for the forfeiture of $12 million, which was the amount Daedone sold the company’s stake in 2017, on Wednesday, March 18 and paid nearly $888,000 in restitution to her seven victims. Daedone showed no remorse at sentencing.
In 2004, Daedone co-founded OneTaste in San Francisco, promoting ‘orgasmic meditation’ (OM), a path to wellness.
From 2006 to 2018, prosecutors alleged that Daedone and her coconspirators created a scheme to have forced labor through manipulation, surveillance and psychological abuse.
In 2017, she stepped down as Chief Executive Office (CEO) of OneTaste, selling her company’s stake for $12 million.
In 2018, a high-profile exposé by Bloomberg Businessweek revealed details of allegations of financial, psychological and sexual exploitation, triggering an investigation from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On June 6, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Daedone and Cherwitz, charging them with forced labor conspiracy.
On Monday, May 5, 2025, the criminal trial began in Brooklyn federal court. During the trial, witnesses gave testimony that Daedone and Cherwitz used forced methods on its members, making it out to be wellness for unpaid labor and sexual acts for the benefit of the company and its investors.
The victims forcibly lived and sexually serviced OneTaste’s main investor. Members of the organizations were pressured into massive debts for expensive courses and lived in communal housing under heavy surveillance. Daedone and Cherwitz were found guilty of forced labor conspiracy after a five-week long trial.
