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. [2], He continues to be named as Legal Representative of the church in Mexico in spite of having been convicted of child sex crimes. To gasps of surprise, Joaqun Garca addressed the congregation by telephone from his Los Angeles prison, where he is serving a 16-year sentence. 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. 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. "I do not see the bars that separate me from you," he told his followers. 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. Thus, all we know is shes a Mexican native and a mother of three; she and her husband share Adoram Joaqun Zamora, Elda Joaqun Zamora, and Sibma Joaqun Zamora together all now adults. Before joining The Times in 2018, he covered city news and state politics at the Hartford Courant. Because his religious registry is against Mexican Law now that he has been sentenced, there is currently a petition to remove his name from both The Light of The World church (iglesia La Luz del Mundo) and the Levitical Fraternity (Fraternidad Levtico) in that country. She joined the newsroom in 2018 and spent several years working on the criminal justice team. 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. Have a tip or story idea? He initially faced more than 20 charges, but most were dismissed after a plea deal with prosecutors. Only in September 2020 did the man plead not guilty to the crimes charged against him. After La Luz Del Mundo megachurch leader Naasn Joaqun Garca was sentenced Wednesday to 16 years and 8 months in prison, the Law&Crime Network's Brian Ross. While its leader, Naasn Joaqun Garca, has been idolized by millions of followers as an apostle of God, he just pleaded guilty to child sex abuse charges in Los Angeles on June 3. La Luz del Mundo is sometimes described as evangelical, but its members do not embrace this term. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. "Instead of protecting those innocent women, Naasn and the church fostered and then brutally preyed on their blind trust and allegiance in the 'Apostle'". Apart from Naasn, his mother, wife, brother, and children were named in the lawsuit for being aware of the abuse. Naasn Joaqun Garca, the leader of La Luz del Mundo, pleaded guilty to two counts of forcible oral copulation involving minors and one count of a lewd act on a child who was 15. Ruiz told The Associated Press that his family has belonged to La Luz del Mundo for three generations. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. 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Only the rare defendant like Naasn Joaqun Garcia should be locked up before trial, and most should be released without money bail. 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. "And for those family members that have abandoned you, shame! At the California Department of Justice, we will continue to stand up for survivors and fight back against abuse. They have power, they have the money, she added. 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. The defendant has pleaded not guilty to the charges. CBS News Los Angeles: The Rundown (June 8 AM Edition). 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. 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. She has pleaded guilty to four counts as part of a deal in 2020. Naason Joaqun Garcia was arrested at the airport in Los Angeles, California, in June 2019. There are apparently video clips of them engaging in such atrocious acts, some of which even go as far as to include extreme incest. In some cities, people tithe more than 10% of their monthly income to the church. However the Guadalajara-based megachurch, also known as the Light of the World, issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon reiterating its support for Garca and saying he had only pleaded guilty to the counts because he did not think he would receive a fair trial. Illicit enrichment, money laundering, transfers to tax havens and the purchase of luxury goods and services were some of the alerts issued by the unit. The man who leads a huge international church and calls himself the Apostle has now been abandoned for a second time by one of the women who allegedly groomed and recruited teenage girls from the church for him to sexually abuse. 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. Another neighborhood resident, Sailem Castillo, also said she was upbeat despite Joaqun Garca's imprisonment. naason joaquin garcia released naason joaquin garcia released. And it shouldnt be, the lawyer continued. Said parishioner Robert Pelegreen at the time: When David was going to fight Goliath, it looked like he was going to lose. 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. Speaking on a podcast called "I Left a Sect," Lo-ami Salazar said Hermosa Provincia used to be her "happy place.". In exchange, prosecutors dropped 16 counts that included allegations of raping children and women, as well as human trafficking to produce child pornography. [3][4][5] Two days before his trial, Naasn Joaqun Garcia pleaded guilty to three charges related to sexually abusing children. This is not an organized religion, this is an organized institution of criminal activities thats been running for 96 years. She said she expects more will decide to leave because of the guilty plea. 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. An arrest warrant has also been issued for Azalea Rangel Melendez, who is currently at large. She was accused of grooming teenage girls for Garcias sexual pleasure. Judge Ronald Coens harsh view of Garcafollowed hours of emotional and graphic testimony in a Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday from five of Garcas young female victims, who broke down in tears as they described years of sexual abuse, rape and forced servitude by the sects top religious leader. Garcia, charged with 23 counts of child sex abuse, is being held on $90 million bail; trial is scheduled for November. 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. If you have any questions please contact: Bilingual Services Program at (916) 210-7580. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. 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. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty. Aarn's wife was the church's first member. However, the five complainants, addressed as Jane Does in the court, were unhappy with the minimal sentences their aggressors received. [7], Susana Medina Oaxaca and Alondra Ocampo were also charged. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. I believe she [Ocampo] was brainwashed, said Martin. 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. Its always somebody elses fault.. The home base of the church is the Guadalajara neighborhood of Hermosa Provincia, Spanish for "beautiful province." Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. In California alone it has about 50 locations. Bail was set at a stunning $25 million for Naason Joaquin . Similar accusations emerged in September last year, so the trial ended up being rescheduled for May 2022. Joaqun Garca was held on $50 million bail, Ocampo on $25 million, and Oaxaca remained free on bail. Joaqun Garca and his co-defendants allegedly committed these crimes between 2015 and 2018 while leading La Luz Del Mundo, an international religious organization headquartered in Mexico with reportedly over one million followers worldwide. Since having carried out harassment of minors, touching and rape. In September of the same year, he reportedly addressed his congregation via a phone call behind bars. He used me over and over again like a sacrificial lamb taken to slaughter, recalled one young woman, testifying as Jane Doe out of fear of reprisals. But in court they called him "evil" and a "monster," "disgusting human waste" and the "antichrist. Period, said Attorney General Becerra. "For us everything is very nice, everything continues to work," she said. After several delays, Garcias trial was supposed to start with jury selection Monday before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Ronald S. Coen. June 8, 2022 / 3:01 PM Outraged by what they saw as a lenient sentence for La Luz del Mundo leader Naason Joaquin Garcia, a group is urging other victims to speak out. Libor Jany covers the Los Angeles Police Department. He was sentenced to more than 16 years after making a plea deal. Garcias lawyers didnt immediately return requests for comment; a church spokesman had no immediate comment. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. Jericho, Bethlehem and Nazareth are among the names of roads converging on the white temple that locals call "the cake," for its white tiers that diminish in size as they rise upward. Against him unreliable or low-quality sentences naason joaquin garcia released aggressors received arrest warrant has also been issued Azalea! 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