A federal grand jury in New York returned an indictment charging the longtime leader of a Mexican megachurch imprisoned in Southern California for child sex abuse with racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.
Naasón Joaquín García, 56, was among six people charged with racketeering and child exploitation, according to federal prosecutors, who said the defendants exploited the church and victimized members for decades. García was already in prison on state charges, serving 16 years for sexually abusing young followers.
The federal indictment alleges systemic abuse of children and women for the sexual gratification of García and his father, who died in 2014. Crimes included creating photos and videos of child sexual abuse. The indictment also alleges that two of the defendants and others attempted to destroy evidence and prevent victims of sexual abuse from speaking to law enforcement after García was arrested on state charges.
García, head of La Luz del Mundo (The Light of the World), was taken into federal custody Wednesday at a state prison in Chino in connection with the federal indictment. He was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty in 2022 to two state counts.
Search warrants were executed in connection with the investigation Wednesday at several locations in Los Angeles.
La Luz del Mundo claims 5 million worldwide followers, who consider García the “apostle” of Jesus Christ.
State prosecutors accused García of using his position and spiritual sway to prey on girls and young women who were told the acts would lead to salvation. The victims were threatened with damnation if they refused the “apostle,” prosecutors said.
Other tactics included pressuring victims into signing false declarations about whether the abuse occurred, prosecutors said. They wrote and distributed sermons attacking the victims, claiming they were lying, and pointed to church doctrine that claimed doubting the “apostle” was a sin, according to the indictment.
“When they were confronted, they leveraged their religious influence and financial power to intimidate and coerce victims into remaining silent about the abuse they had suffered,” U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said in a Wednesday news release.
Authorities with Homeland Security Investigations said the indictment results from years of investigations that spanned the United States. Several victims came forward to assist investigators, HSI said.
Besides García, one defendant charged in the case was taken into custody in Los Angeles while another was arrested in Chicago, authorities said. Three others were at large.
La Luz del Mundo and allegations of crimes that swirled around the megachurch for years were the subject of a Netflix show, “The Darkness within La Luz del Mundo.”
Source: NBC Los Angeles
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