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. Former members of the Church stressed that Garcas relatively short sentence as a result of a plea deal with prosecutors means the 53-year-old could be back at the pulpit in 8-10 years. SACRAMENTO - California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today announced the arrest and filing of charges against Naasn Joaqun Garca (Joaqun Garca) and his co-defendants for alleged human trafficking, production of child pornography, forcible rape of a minor, and other felonies. LOS ANGELES (RNS) Naasn Joaqun Garca, the leader of La Luz del Mundo, is facing a new lawsuit filed by five women who allege he sexually abused them while other church members groomed them and used the religion as ammunition against them. naason joaquin garcia released naason joaquin garcia released. ", They spoke of how they had been manipulated and told they would be damned if they refused. Naasn Joaqun Garcia, 53, faces more than 16 years in state prison and . "I think it changed for the better in the sense that now we feel more united, and we feel more empowered," she said. 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. Shame on you!". Near the end of the call, Joaqun Garca asked his followers to raise their hands and their voices to God and repeat after him: "I promise you, Lord, that whatever the suffering, I will never abandon you.". 0 . ode to the vampire mother results; national asset mortgage lawsuit; green tuna paper; mary davis sos band net worth We should mention that according to Vice, apart from Naasn, his family has also faced accusations of sexual abuse against minors. Joaqun Garca was held on $50 million bail, Ocampo on $25 million, and Oaxaca remained free on bail. Oaxaca pleaded guilty to one count of assault likely to cause great bodily injury in June. In 2014, he succeeded his father as the new leader AKA the Apostle of the La Luz del Mundo. Period, said Attorney General Becerra. Defendants facing state criminal allegations are eligible for bail in most cases, allowing them to await future court dates out of police custody if they have the financial resources to post bail. She was provided by Mrs Ocampo, provided whipped cream, strawberries, lingerie, and the other girl would spray the whipped cream and strawberries on each other and then lick them off, said Special Agent Troy Holmes in court. Joaqun Garca's prison sentence in June came after nearly three hours of emotional statements by five young women he was charged with sexually abusing. Garcia, he said, abused his authority to take advantage of children, while relying on his underlings to groom congregants for the purposes of sexual assault., Todays conviction can never undo the harm, Bonta declared, but it will help protect future generations.. Garcia, charged with 23 counts of child sex abuse, is being held on $90 million bail; trial is scheduled for November. His plea deal came after five young womenonce devoted followers of the church founded by Garca's grandfather in Mexico nearly a century agotestified that he had made them his sex slaves. They dont doubt that the servant of God is lying to them or that hes committing a crime against them. Martin, who left the church years earlier, said in an interview with Brian Ross Investigates. Gen. [1] Early life [ edit] A copy of this disclaimer can also be found on our Disclaimer page. This is actually despite the fact he was born as the fifth of seven children to Samuel Joaqun Flores (his predecessor) and Eva Garca Lpez in May 1969 in the Mexican city of Guadalajara, Jalisco. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Authorities have yet to locate the third woman, Azalea Rangel Melendez. 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. A copy of the complaint is available here. [7], Susana Medina Oaxaca and Alondra Ocampo were also charged. This Google translation feature is provided for informational purposes only. In California alone it has about 50 locations. 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. 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. 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. But theyve hit a snag, Randall Emmett, Ambyr Childers settle domestic violence restraining order dispute, California ski resorts brace for an epic weekend of snow, crowds and disruptions, An assault and fatal stabbing in the middle of class at a Santa Rosa high school, With unfounded fraud claims swirling, red California county dumps Dominion voting machines, Man arrested in connection to 7 bombings in Fresno has links to hate group, authorities say, Vote on LAPD transit patrols sparks City Hall debate over safety on Metro system, UCLA, UCSF hospital nurses voice complaints about overcrowding, staffing shortages. She claimed facing decades of abuse at the hands of the leaders, including Naasn and his late father, Samuel Joaqun Flores. Despite the vast publicity and lurid charges, Garcia had maintained almost universal support within the church. 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Its always somebody elses fault.. They allegedly were told that if they went against Garcias desires they were going against God. To gasps of surprise, Joaqun Garca addressed the congregation by telephone from his Los Angeles prison, where he is serving a 16-year sentence. Sochil Martin, a former La Luz del Mundo member who has filed a civil RICO suit against Garcaand LLDM alleging sexual abuse and other crimes, was highly critical of the plea deal, and compared the church to a mafia-type organization that would continue to operate despite Garcas imprisonment. Naasn Joaqun Garca may be released in December 2032 Dementia And Memory Loss Has Been Linked To This Common Pill. They can never accept responsibility for themselves and for their actions. "I did cry, because I was saying, 'God, deliver me from this, make this time pass quickly,'" Haifa said from Texas. Today it claims a membership of more than 5 million in some 50 nations. "For us everything is very nice, everything continues to work," she said. He is the fifth of eight children and during much . Another codefendant, Susana Medina Oaxaca, who was Garcias former assistant, pleaded guilty Friday to a charge of assault likely to cause great bodily injury, Bontas office said. Kellermeyer said his wife who earlier pled guilty was preparing to be the star witness at Garcas trial and was disappointed not to have the opportunity to testifyhaving hoped to reach dedicated church members, like her own parents, still in the church who refuse to believe that Garca is guilty. Damian Dovarganes / AP The. World Crime Sexual abuse. During services, the women sit to the right and men to the left. Faithful attend a Santa Cena or Holy Supper service in the La Luz del Mundo or the Light of the World flagship temple in Guadalajara, Mexico, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022. He's known to church members as Aarn - a result, he said, of God asking him to change his name. Rich L.A. homeowners are snapping them up, Review: A reimagined Secret Garden fails to flower anew at the Ahmanson Theatre, Column: Supreme Court conservatives may want to block student loan forgiveness. Also, a February federal lawsuit against the church and Joaqun Garca alleging that he and his father sexually abused a Southern California girl regularly from the time she was twelve until she was eighteen is still pending. The church's doctrine is learned from the cradle. The church's media relations office claims there is no crime in the area. After Garcias guilty plea, the churchs normally active Facebook page was dormant. OAKLAND - California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced securing a guilty plea and conviction against Naasn Joaqun Garca, the leader of La Luz del Mundo, for multiple felony counts of sexual assault involving three separate minors. revocar-registros-religiosos-de-njg-pederasta-confeso, On June 3, 2019, Joaqun Garca was arrested and charged by prosecutors from Los Angeles County with sexual abuse charges involving minors. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. He was sentenced to more than 16 years after making a plea deal. Susana Medina Oaxaca appears in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday, June 21, 2019. The RICO suit names him, the organization called Light of the World, his mother, his wife, his brother, and many of the leaders of the organization. The neighborhood has cafeterias, clinics, a recreation center and a store that sells Bibles and religious-themed games for children. Although, he denied the charges, including raping and trafficking girls from his congregation. Its not me thats doing this, this is what God wants you to do, Thiagarajah told Brian Ross. 6 min read. / KCAL News. If you have any questions please contact: Bilingual Services Program at (916) 210-7580. "SHAME, SHAME ON YOU!": California judge scolds families for abandoning sexual abuse survivors before sentencing self-declared "apostle" Naasn Joaqun Garc. "It is not sufficient to say 'I have converted' or "I have baptized'" she said. On June 3, 2019, Naasn, Susana, and Alondra landed in a private jet at the Los Angeles International Airport, where they were arrested. A megachurch has defended its leader after he was sentenced to more than 16 years in a California prison for sexually abusing girls in his congregation. It is unclear what his guilty admission will mean for the megachurch with international reach, and whether it will force the kind of larger reckoning over abuse and decades-long cover-ups that has swept the Catholic Church. After several delays, Garcias trial was supposed to start with jury selection Monday before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Ronald S. Coen. "He used me over and over again like a sacrificial lamb taken to slaughter. 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. In pre-trial testimony California state agents said the young victims in the case known as Jane Does 1-5 , described Ocampos role as a handmaiden, women who were groomed and were sexually abused themselves before doing the same to other young women in the church. His unexpected plea change came during an unannounced hearing Friday, which was only disclosed after the fact in a news release. Furthermore, Susana and Alondra pled guilty to the charges against them. [10] Federal criminal investigations are pending in both the United States and Mexico. SACRAMENTO California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today announced the arrest and filing of charges against Naasn Joaqun Garca (Joaqun Garca) and his co-defendants for alleged human trafficking, production of child pornography, forcible rape of a minor, and other felonies. They urged Judge Ronald Coen to impose a longer sentence, but he responded that his "hands are tied" by the agreement. They have power, they have the money, she added. 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. With Naasns grandfather Aaron Joaquin Gonzalez having established La Luz Del Mundo in 1926 and him being a third-generation heir, its honestly no surprise hed gained worldwide notoriety. March 21, 2022 17:02 ET | Source: The Light of the World. On June 8, 2022, Naasn was convicted for the three charges and sentenced to 16 years and 8 months behind bars. Read More: How Did Samuel Joaqun Flores Die? Prosecutors said Garca, who is considered the "apostle" of Jesus by the church's millions of followers, used his position to have sex with girls and young women in the congregation. Naasn was revered among his church community, but things came crashing down around 2019 when he and two of his associates, Susana Medina Oaxaca and Alondra Ocampo, came under the polices radar. We also claim so because it was recently reported that Naasns son Adoram acquired a massive mansion in Malibu, a highly affluent coastal community within Los Angeles. . In total, there are more than 30 crimes in total, including child pornography and trafficking in persons, committed between 2015 and 2018. On June 3, 2019, Naasn, Susana, and Alondra landed in a private jet at the Los Angeles International Airport, where they were arrested. 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. We reiterate that his procedural and constitutional rights must remain in force, such as the presumption of innocence and the right to due process, as well as the right to be judged impartially and without bias. the spokesman said. September 19, 2022 / 8:20 AM They prayed, they talked to journalists, they protested their leaders innocence. The case has been difficult for some former members who have distanced themselves from the church. In addition to Joaqun Garca, Alondra Ocampo and Susana Medina Oaxaca were also arrested. Joaquin Garca is described as serious, fearsome and strong-willed by those who know him, but there is little public information about him before his rise to power. Oaxaca pleaded guilty to one count of assault likely to cause great bodily injury on Friday also. Last year, Attorney General Becerrahelped bring downthe worlds largest online brothel, Backpage.com, and convicted its CEO. Spanning the main street is a sculpture spelling "innocent" in Spanish. In a major set back for the defense of Nasson Joaquin Garcia, his co-defendant, Alondra Ocampo, has pleaded guilty to four felony counts involving the sexual abuse of minors and is now prepared to testify against him at trial in California. Many news outlets in Mexico featured Garcias guilty plea on their homepages Friday evening, including the online website Animal Politico and newspaper El Universal. Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. This included allegations of human trafficking, production of child pornography, forcible rape of a minor, and other felonies. 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. Since having carried out harassment of minors, touching and rape. Its unclear whether the latters work involves him marketing a team or sponsoring them, but we do know he appears perfectly content at the moment. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. 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 They also alleged the church was involved in a lengthy cover-up of the sexual misconduct. She said she does not think the plea deal will result in a total crisis for the institution.. As a result, he pled guilty to two counts of forcible oral copulation involving minors and one count of a lewd act upon a child who was 15 years old. From what we can tell, every member of the Joaqun family prefers to stay well away from the limelight these days, yet they do likely divide their time between their homeland of Guadalajara and their last known base of California. "I do not see the bars that separate me from you," he told his followers. As of writing, the case is still being deliberated in a court of law. He is the third apostle of the congregation after succeeding his father Samuel in power after his death on December 14, 2014. Joaqun Garca, 53, was arrested in 2019 in California. She will be sentenced at a later date. [emailprotected]. Held in jail on $90-million bail, Garcia faced charges ranging from human trafficking and rape to forcible oral copulation of a minor and possession of child pornography. list of benue state deputy governors list of benue state deputy governors Even as a California judge declared their leader a "sexual predator," sentencing him to 16 years and eight months for sexual abuse of minors in his congregation, leaders of the Light of the World Church declared their faith in Naasn Joaqun Garca, known as "The Apostle of Jesus Christ," to his five million followers. Newsweek has asked the office of California's attorney general for comment on the church's claims. Ocampo has been held in custody for more than a year since her arrest with Garcia on his private jet at the Los Angeles airport by California law enforcement. Naasn Joaqun Garca in Los Angeles County Superior Court on June 8. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. 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. Born on May 7, 1969, in Guadalajara, Mexico, Naasn Joaqun Garcia was the fifth of Mexican church leader Samuel Joaqun Flores eight children. De la Torre said she believes the church will continue to present Garcia as a victim of a conspiracy and that many of its members will keep backing him. She said she expects more will decide to leave because of the guilty plea. While Naasn maintained he was innocent for several months as he awaited his trial, in a shocking turn of events, he accepted a plea deal just three days before his trial commenced in June 2022. On the other hand, a 19-page complaint was filed in court against Naasn by five unnamed victims. And over again like a sacrificial lamb taken to slaughter women sit to the right and to! 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