The leader of a Mexican megachurch convicted of sexual abuse and child molestation addressed his fiercely loyal congregation from prison by phone.
Naason Joaquin Garcia, 53, leader of the La Luz del Mundo megachurch, is considered by his five million followers to be an “apostle” to Jesus Christ despite the accusations against him, according to the Associated Press. He was arrested in California in 2019 under suspicion of over 20 counts of child sexual abuse, human trafficking, and child pornography, though most charges were dropped when Garcia accepted a plea deal for decreased time. Facing 16 years in a U.S. prison for the admitted sexual abuse of minors, the spiritual leader remains the head of his massive congregation, recently addressing them by prison phone behind bars.
MEXICAN MEGACHURCH LEADER SENTENCED TO OVER 16 YEARS FOR CHILD SEX ABUSE
“I do not see the bars that separate me from you,” he told his followers, the report said. “I see your beautiful faces … because you are the children of God.”
He later asked his followers to raise their hands and chant, “I promise you, Lord, that whatever the suffering, I will never abandon you.”
Thousands of his followers gathered in the main temple in Guadalajara to hear his newest address, with throngs of worshipers extending out to the street to hear him. Many were reported to have broken into tears upon hearing his voice. The church members maintain his innocence.
“I think it changed for the better in the sense that now we feel more united, and we feel more empowered,” one church member told the outlet, speaking of his conviction. “It has been a very difficult issue, of course, for him and for us. We all suffer something in life, but one learns to know those moments where you see that God is doing something to help you, to get ahead, not to let you fall.”
The church maintains that Garcia is innocent and only had to take a plea deal for a lesser sentence because evidence against him was doctored by the corrupt legal system.
“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, according to the outlet.
Five of Garcia’s victims testified in court, using anonymity to protect themselves from backlash, and called him “evil,” a “monster,” “disgusting human waste,” and the “antichrist” in their testimony.
He is said to have used religion to justify his abuse, telling the girls they faced eternal damnation if they resisted.
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“I worshiped my abuser,” his niece told the court. “He used me over and over again like a sacrificial lamb taken to slaughter.”
The victims were outraged to hear of the plea deal, believing it was far too lenient.
