The leader of a secretive New York group who allegedly coerced female followers into having sex with him and had their skin branded with his own initials has been arrested at a luxury beach condo in Mexico.

Keith Raniere of Albany, 57, has been charged with sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy and forced labor conspiracy for allegedly enslaving members of the Nxivm community, an organization he founded as a self-help group.

In a criminal complaint, federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York say he would charge his followers up to $5,000 per session for courses in personal and professional development, and then when they were in debt, take their possessions as collateral. The complaint says that when women turned over collateral, which could include compromising pictures and damaging personal information, they would become "slaves."

The prosecutors' detention request refers to "over fifty female slaves," and said he enjoyed the backing of wealthy individuals.

Raniere, also known as "Vanguard," allegedly taught his followers that men needed multiple sexual partners while women should be monogamous. According to the court filing, he maintained a rotating group of 15 to 20 women with whom he had sex. In the New York Times and Vanity Fair, former participants in Raniere's development programs alleged that the organization is a "cult."

The criminal complaint includes pictures of the brands that would allegedly be burned into the skin of followers at "branding" ceremonies that marked their formal initiation. The brands are variations on Raniere's initials, KR.

"Keith Raniere created a secret society of women whom he had sex with and branded with his initials, coercing them with the threat of releasing their highly personal information and taking their assets," stated