naason joaquin garcia released
When he was arrested, many of the faithful flocked to churches in the denominations hometown of Guadalajara, but also in Los Angeles and other cities. [emailprotected]. A trial date has been set for Naasn Joaqun Garca, the leader of the Mexico-based megachurch La Luz del Mundo who is facing a number of sex abuse charges. 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. After Garcias guilty plea, the churchs normally active Facebook page was dormant. As a documentary series that lives up to its title in every way imaginable, HBOs Unveiled: Surviving La Luz Del Mundo can only be described as equal parts gripping, riveting, as well as haunting. 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. He was sentenced to more than 16 years after making a plea deal. After several delays, Garcias trial was supposed to start with jury selection Monday before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Ronald S. Coen. His continued hold on his flock was evident recently at the Christian church's main temple in Guadalajara, as thousands gathered to pray for their absent leader during their Holy Supper, the most sacred festivity for La Luz del Mundo. "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," the church said. Although, he denied the charges, including raping and trafficking girls from his congregation. 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.Garca and his co-defendants allegedly committed these crimes between 2015 and 2018 while leading La Luz . "It has been a very difficult issue, of course, for him and for us," she added. Todays conviction sends a clear message that sexual exploitation is never acceptable in California. The decision by Ocampo followed weeks of testimony by California state agents about her role in delivering young women to Garcia for sexually deviant acts, many of which she recorded on video for him. Naason Joaquin Garcia, the leader of the La Luz del Mundo, Spanish for The Light of the World, appears in Los Angeles County Superior Court, on June 5, 2019. An arrest warrant has also been issued for Azalea Rangel Melendez, who is currently at large. Said parishioner Robert Pelegreen at the time: When David was going to fight Goliath, it looked like he was going to lose. Many news outlets in Mexico featured Garcias guilty plea on their homepages Friday evening, including the online website Animal Politico and newspaper El Universal. The California attorney generals office, which is handling the case, also had accused Garcia of coercing underlings to recruit young girls for him to sexually abuse. Damian Dovarganes / AP The. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. Just on March 21, the Church of the Light of the World demanded Nahson's immediate release, after his defense filed a motion claiming that the California Prosecutor's Office conducted incriminating evidence against him. Nevertheless, there are former members who say their ceremony was not optional. The alleged crimes committed by Garcia occurred between 2015 and 2019. Those born in the community are baptized at 14 because, according to the church, that lets them decide whether to reaffirm or leave the faith. Naasn Merar Joaqun Garca (born on May 7, 1969) is a Mexican religious leader and convicted child molester who is the third leader of the La Luz del Mundo church, succeeding his father, Samuel Joaqun Flores, in December 2014. list of benue state deputy governors list of benue state deputy governors But still just purely drinking from that information trough only from the Church. And NOW is the time to stand up and fight.. Church member Alondra Ocampo was expected to testify against him. "And for those family members that have abandoned you, shame! [12]. Naason Joaquin Garcia, the church's leader, a man considered by congregants an apostle of Jesus Christ, had just been sentenced to nearly 17 years in prison for committing acts of sexual abuse . HBOs Unveiled: Surviving La Luz Del Mundo peeks behind the closed doors of the Mexican Christian megachurch La Luz Del Mundo and sheds light on the rampant sexual abuse faced by several minors by the church leaders. Naasn Joaqun Garcia -- the leader of La Luz del Mundo (Light of the World) -- was sentenced to 16 years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty Friday to two counts of forcible oral. The arrests were the result of a joint effort between the California Department of Justice and a number of law enforcement agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Los Angeles Airport Police. Theyve always supported this pedophile, this rapist, this criminal, and who himself just confessed that he was a pedophile. We must not turn a blind eye to sexual violence and trafficking in our state. 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. 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 will be sentenced at a later date. Theyre still using this power they have to manipulate, use and control these people, Martin told the Law&Crime Networks Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross. "SHAME, SHAME ON YOU!": California judge scolds families for abandoning sexual abuse survivors before sentencing self-declared "apostle" Naasn Joaqun Garc. Ocampo requested that Jane Doe number one send her nude photos of herself because the servant of god who is defendant Garcia, would be really happy, said special agent Thomas Donohue in court. "For us everything is very nice, everything continues to work," she said. 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. Today it claims a membership of more than 5 million in some 50 nations. Hence, in September 2022, they filed a detailed civil lawsuit against Naasn for sexually abusing them, alleging other church members groomed them and used the religion as ammunition to manipulate them. Last year, Attorney General Becerrahelped bring downthe worlds largest online brothel, Backpage.com, and convicted its CEO. La Luz del Mundo dissidents seek more charges . The Associated Press contributed to this report. Emailus. Naasn Merar Joaqun Garca (born on May 7, 1969) is a Mexican religious leader and convicted child molester who is the third leader of the La Luz del Mundo church, succeeding his father, Samuel Joaqun Flores, in December 2014. [emailprotected]. Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov, State of California Department of Justice, Consumer Protection and Economic Opportunity, California Justice Information Services (CJIS), helped bring downthe worlds largest online brothel, push for the passage of the federal Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, Attorney General Becerra Announces Arrest of Naasn Joaqu. . They urged Judge Ronald Coen to impose a longer sentence, but he responded that his "hands are tied" by the agreement. "The apostle always shows determination to move forward," said Phares Ruiz, who traveled from El Salvador to attend the Holy Supper. The bail to be able to leave is 50 million dollars, one of the highest in history. Authorities continue to search for a fourth suspect, Azalea Rangel Melendez. The church's doctrine is learned from the cradle. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Naason Joaqun Garcia was arrested at the airport in Los Angeles, California, in June 2019. And still the bishops and the hierarchy are lying to the members. Apart from Naasn, his mother, wife, brother, and children were named in the lawsuit for being aware of the abuse. "He used me over and over again like a sacrificial lamb taken to slaughter.". naason joaquin garcia released naason joaquin garcia released. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. This Google translation feature is provided for informational purposes only. 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. He is currently charged on more than 30 counts, including possession of child pornography, human. As per court documents, the complainants alleged he sexually abused one woman and three minors, also raping the woman and another child. This was all Naasons doing.. 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