 |
|
Flagship temple in Guadalajara/Axel
mora /Commons Wikimedia.org
|
California Attorney General Xavier
Becerra announced on Wednesday, June 5, 2019, that charges were filed
against Naasón Joaquín García and his co-defendants after their
arrest on Monday for alleged human trafficking crimes. The arrest
took place after they landed their charter flight at Los Angeles
International Airport (LAX). In a joint operation with Homeland
Security ICE, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Border Patrol
officers and LAX police officers, they were taken into custody as the
result of information submitted on the California Department of
Justice clergy abuse online complaint form in 2018. An investigation
was set up in 2018 by the California DOJ, at that time they also
filed a criminal complaint alleging García and his co-defendants had
committed these heinous crimes for four years.
Naasón Joaquín García, 50; leader
and a self-proclaimed 'apostle' of La Luz del Mundo, a Mexico-based
church and his co-defendants face 26 felony charges in the Southern
California area of rape of a child, human trafficking, sex abuse and
production of child pornography. According to the 19-page complaint
filed allegations were made by three girls and one woman back in
2015, 2017 and 2018. Although the church was accused in past years
of child sex abuse in Mexico, authorities there never filed charges
against the church. Church followers are told they must abide by
strict moral code if they are to achieve eternal salvation.
Garcia, according to court files, told
the victims if they did not perform oral sex and other sexual acts
they were going against the wishes of God. The complaint filed on the
clergy abuse line were graphic and contained very disturbing details
about Garcia. California Attorney General Becerra stated that this
kind of crime had no place in society and would not be tolerated in
California. Becerra also urged other victims to come forward.
Alondra Ocampo, 36; was arrested in Los
Angeles County and Susana Medina Oaxaca, 24; was arrested along with
Garcia. There still remains a outstanding warrant on Azalea Rangel
Melendez, who is currently at large. A Los Angeles Superior Court
judge raised García's bail from $25 million to $50 million after
investigators conducted additional search warrants.
No comments:
Post a Comment