Longtime head of Mexican megachurch is indicted in New York on federal sex trafficking charges
New York – The long-standing chief of a Mexican mega-church, which is serving more than 16 years in a California prison for having sexually abused young subscribers was accused of racketeering and sex trafficking to have allegedly victim of the members of the Church for decades, authorities announced on Wednesday.
A great federal jury in New York made the accusation act alleging that Naasón Joaquín García, 56, and five other people exploited the Church for decades to allow the systemic sexual abuse of children and women for the sexual gratuity of García and his father, who died in 2014.
The newly non -sealed indictment said that criminal activity included the creation of photos and videos of sex abuse.
García was placed in federal detention early Wednesday in Chino, California, where he was serving a sentence of more than 16 years after pleading guilty in 2022 to two heads of state.
His lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comments.
García is the leader of Luz del Mundo (the light of the world), who claims to have 5 million followers in the world. The believers consider him “the apostle” of Jesus Christ.
Prosecutors in California said that he had used his spiritual influence to have sex with girls and young women who have been informed that this would lead to their salvation – or to damnation if they refused.
In addition to García, an accused accused in the case was arrested in Los Angeles while another was arrested in Chicago, the authorities announced. Three others were free.
According to the indictment, two of the accused and others tried to destroy evidence and prevent the victims of sexual abuse from speaking to the police after the arrest of García.
He said they put pressure on the victims to sign false statements saying that any abuse has occurred, written and distributed sermons declaring that all the victims of sexual abuse were lying and reinforced the doctrine of the Church that the doubt of the apostle was a sinister by eternal damnation.
In a statement, American lawyer Jay Clayton said that García and the others “exploited the faith of their disciples to attack them”.
He added: “When they were confronted, they have taken advantage of their religious influence and their financial power to intimidate and force the victims to remain silent on the abuses they had suffered.”
Ricky J. Patel, head of the New York internal security survey office, said the accusations resulting from a “year -round investigation that lasted the country and involved the support of dozens of courageous victims”.
