"Six leaders of the Mexico-based La Luz del Mundo megachurch including its current "apostle," Naason Joaquin Garcia, his mother and four associates are facing federal charges of racketeering, child pornography and sex trafficking, under a recently unsealed indictment. Maximum penalties for some of the offenses include life in prison. Garcia, 56, has been serving a 16-year, 8-month prison sentence in California, after reaching a plea deal in 2022 on state sex abuse charges."
"Prosecutors claim the family that has led La Luz del Mundo or "Light of the World" for nearly 100 years also used it to facilitate sexual abuse across successive generations. The indictment alleges that Garcia, his late father, Samuel Joaquin Flores, and grandfather Aaron Joaquin Gonzalez, who founded the church, systematically abused their followers, aided by relatives and employees. "On at least one occasion, [Samuel's wife Eva Garcia de Joaquin] held down a minor victim so that Samuel could rape the victim," the indictment alleges."
Six leaders of the Mexico-based La Luz del Mundo megachurch, including Naason Joaquin Garcia, his mother and four associates, face a federal indictment charging racketeering, child pornography and sex trafficking. Some offenses carry maximum penalties including life imprisonment. Garcia was serving a 16-year, 8-month California sentence from a 2022 state plea deal and was transferred to federal custody when the indictment was unsealed; his mother was arrested in Los Angeles. Prosecutors allege church leadership facilitated systematic, multi-generational sexual abuse involving Garcia, his late father and grandfather, aided by relatives and employees, and survivors from Mexico and the U.S. have cooperated with authorities. Garcia's defense denies the charges.
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