Originally facing 36 charges, Garcia at the last minute took a plea deal that called for him to admit to three counts, the state attorney generals office announced Friday: two counts of forcible oral copulation involving minors and one count of a lewd act upon a child who was 15 years old. Its not me thats doing this, this is what God wants you to do, Thiagarajah told Brian Ross. Thats because it charts not just the way the titular Mexican non-traditional Christian Church took advantage of minors for years but also the 2019 apprehension of leader Naasn Joaqun Garcia. Todos Los Derechos Reservados 2021 Infobae, Lawyers of the leader of the Light of the World threatened witnesses from the United States and Mexico, I saw a criminal: Naasn Joaqun's assistant told how he lived 30 years with the former leader of La Luz del Mundo, There is already a date for the trial against Naasn Joaqun Garcia: The Light of the World awaits justice for the Apostle of Jesus Christ. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. For them, hes a saint that does everything well., Renee de la Torre is a researcher in Guadalajara for the Center of Research and Graduate Studies in Social Anthropology and has studied La Luz del Mundo. Agents also testified that Ocampo would take the young girls to Victorias Secret stores to buy lingerie for them to wear as she filmed them for the Apostle.. The neighborhood has cafeterias, clinics, a recreation center and a store that sells Bibles and religious-themed games for children. Todays decision demonstrates, as we have always said, that the Apostle is innocent and his innocence will be judicially proven through the course of the trial a Church spokesperson said in a written statement to Brian Ross Investigates. "This is a path that God has placed in front of him for a reason, as he did for Apostle Paul.". In addition to his prison time, Garcia is expected to be ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. A fourth defendant, Azalea Rangel Melendez, who was previously charged with rape, is still at-large. A lot of people have the expectation that once there was a guilty verdict, whether it be through trial, whether it be through pleading guilty, that loved ones and family members would wake up to the truth. Similar accusations emerged in September last year, so the trial ended up being rescheduled for May 2022. Garcia, charged with 23 counts of child sex abuse, is being held on $90 million bail; trial is scheduled for November. Ruiz told The Associated Press that his family has belonged to La Luz del Mundo for three generations. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. He is the fifth of eight children and during much . Garcia has been in jail for nearly three years awaiting trial, since state prosecutors charged him with abusing girls who belonged to his Mexico-based megachurch. Since Joaqun Garca's arrest, La Luz del Mundo's media relations team says it cannot make official statements on his case because litigation is ongoing. Garcia, 53, had publicly maintained his innocence for years. . Garcias lawyers didnt immediately return requests for comment; a church spokesman had no immediate comment. Please enter valid email address to continue. Sochil further alleged that her aunt and a foster mother groomed and coerced her into forcibly serving the church leaders. First published on June 8, 2022 / 3:01 PM. The religion is "very demanding," said Arlene M. Snchez-Walsh, a professor of religious studies at Azusa Pacific University, a Christian institution near Los Angeles. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Best coffee city in the world? This included allegations of human trafficking, production of child pornography, forcible rape of a minor, and other felonies. It accuses Joaqun Garca of conditioning victims, under the guise of religion, to serve him above all else, ultimately resulting in the sexual abuse over the course of several years. For some young people, these steps include memorizing songs honoring the apostle, reading the Bible before bed and not marrying someone from outside the church. Aarn's wife was the church's first member. World Crime Sexual abuse. / KCAL News. On Sept. 8 a lawsuit was filed in California against Joaqun Garca and four church members alleged to be complicit in the sex abuse. Earlier Friday, victims asked a judge to reject the plea deal or sentence the defendant to a far longer prison term. According to recent records, Naasn was transferred to the North Kern State Prison in Delano, California, in August 2022. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Just days before his long-awaited trial was set to start, La Luz del Mundo leader Naason Joaquin Garcia pleaded guilty Friday to sexually abusing girls from his congregation, a stunning . Had it proceeded, the trial might have offered a rare glimpse into the insular world of La Luz del Mundo Light of the World which boasts more than 5 million members. But criminal attorney Fred Thiagarajah,who at various points was involved on both sides of the case, noted the reality waiting for Garcain prison will likely be a stark awakening for the self-described Apostle, if not his followers. In 2018, Attorney General Becerracharged the operators of Rainbow Bright, a California adult residential and childcare company, with 59 criminal counts for alleged human trafficking and other alleged labor-related violations. This is not an organized religion, this is an organized institution of criminal activities thats been running for 96 years. A copy of this disclaimer can also be found on our Disclaimer page. LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The leader of a Mexico-based evangelical megachurch is due in a Los Angeles courtroom today to face sentencing following a deal with prosecutors last week in which he agreed to plead guilty to three sex counts involving minors. Christopher Kellermeyer, whose wife Alondra Ocampo was charged with being Garcas accomplice by acting as a groomer, said Garcas followers would not be easily persuaded of his guilt. Naason Joaquin Garcia was arrested in L.A. this past summer and charged with child sexual abuse and human trafficking. Sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday. Bail was set at a stunning $25 million for Naason Joaquin . She said she expects more will decide to leave because of the guilty plea. He called Garca a sexual predator. "I do not see the bars that separate me from you," he told his followers. Only the rare defendant like Naasn Joaqun Garcia should be locked up before trial, and most should be released without money bail. Naason Joaqun Garcia was arrested at the airport in Los Angeles, California, in June 2019. "The Apostle of Jesus Christ has had no choice but to accept with much pain that the agreement presented is the best way forward to protect the church and his family," it continued, adding that he had wanted to spare the church and his family "weeks of unfounded public accusations" and threats. The alleged crimes committed by Garcia occurred between 2015 and 2019. 13,512 Alert: Alzheimer's-Like Memory Loss Has Been Linked To This Common Pill 25,161 These Banks Pay Up To 17X The National Average On Your Savings 33,426 Sponsored Ad 8/21/2022, 2:19:28 AM Efforts to fight human trafficking have also included taking on labor exploitation. They can never accept responsibility for themselves and for their actions. Moreover, if they denied or hesitated, they were blackmailed by being told how they were defying Gods will. Yet, despite the charges against Naasn, his followers and the La Luz del Mundo continued supporting him and believing his claims of innocence. While he initially did not enter a plea, he was held at a shocking $50 million bail, generating massive outrage among his followers against the legal authorities. Garcawho took over as "apostle" after his father, Samuel Joaqun Flores, died in 2014had been subjected to a prosecution where evidence was "suppressed, withheld, doctored and altered," the statement said. Are You Taking It? Authorities have yet to locate the third woman, Azalea Rangel Melendez. Sept. 19, 2022 11:27 AM PT Naasn Joaqun Garca, head of the Mexico-based La Luz del Mundo megachurch, pleaded guilty in June to sexually abusing girls from his congregation and was sentenced to. The Associated Press contributed to this report. ", Garca "will continue ministering to the church," the statement said. Parents give biblical names to their children and take them to the temple at 40 days old to promise they will guide them to follow their path. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Offenders and people accused of molesting children always have a difficult time in prison. The leader of a Mexico-based evangelical megachurch has been sentenced to over 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to three sex-related counts involving minors. Naason Joaquin Garcia, leader of La Luz del Mundo church, in court in Los Angeles in 2020. Emailus. She was also part of the team that was a 2020 Pulitzer finalist for its coverage of the Conception boat fire off the Channel Islands. So far he remains imprisoned in the United States. Earlier this year, Sochil Martin, who grew up in the Church in southern California, filed a civil lawsuit against Garcia and the church, describing how she had been recruited at the age of nine and became a sex slave for both Garcias fatherthe previous Apostleand then Garcia. Sara Pozos, 49, is among many in the neighborhood who believe their leader's imprisonment has strengthened the church. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The California Department of Justice arrested Garcia and two other members of the church, Susana Medina Oaxaca and Alondra Ocampo, in 2019. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. LOS ANGELES, March 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- We are shocked by the facts in the recent motion filed by defense attorney Alan Jackson on . After Garcias guilty plea, the churchs normally active Facebook page was dormant. Many lifted their fists. In the criminal complaint filed with the Los Angeles County Superior Court, the California Department of Justice alleges Joaqun Garca and his co-defendants committed 26 felonies in Southern California over a period of approximately four years. The jailed leader is the grandson of La Luz del Mundo's founder: Eusebio Joaqun Gonzlez, a member of the military who began preaching in 1926. 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Before joining The Times in 2018, he covered city news and state politics at the Hartford Courant. Naasn Joaqun Garca may be released in December 2032 Aug. 21, 202200:24 La Luz del Mundo is a church that originated in Guadalajara, Mexico, in the 1950s and now has a presence in dozens of countries, including the United States. Moreover, the eldest Joaqun child has even been quite active in the La Luz del Mundo congregation lately and could potentially be preparing to succeed his father. It should be reiterated that this religious entity, like its leader, has been surrounded by controversies, investigations and allegations: in December 2020, the Financial Intelligence Unit filed five complaints against it. And other felonies asked a judge to reject the plea deal or sentence defendant. And most should be locked up before trial, and most should be up... To locate the third woman, Azalea Rangel Melendez, who was previously charged with child sexual abuse human. 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