The leader of the Church of the Light of the World, the Mexican Naasón Joaquín García, was sentenced this Wednesday to 16 years and 8 months in prison after pleading guilty last Friday to 3 of the 19 charges he faced in a US court related to sexual abuse of minors.
After a full day of hearing, Los Angeles court judge Ronald S. Coen gave the highest sentence possible for the three counts of sexual assault on three minor victims for which the 53-year-old religious leader was charged. pleaded guilty.
Visibly upset, the magistrate told Joaquín García that he was a “sexual predator.” The sentence of 16 years and 8 months is the highest that could be granted after the agreement reached with the California Prosecutor’s Office last Friday with which he avoided going to trial for 19 criminal charges, which included sexual violation of minors, possession of child pornography and human trafficking.
Several of the women named in the California State Attorney’s Office indictment gave their harrowing testimony in English and Spanish. One after another they recounted the abuses, the violations, and the manipulations to which they were subjected.
“Naasón and this church ruined my life,” one of the victims, identified as Jane Doe 4, said through tears. The young woman said that she had to obey the whims of Joaquín García as if they were orders from God: “They told me that if I didn’t follow his orders, God would punish me… When he raped me he forced me to say thank you over and over again.”
Judge Coen reproached that after 30 years of experience applying justice he is still hearing crimes in the name of religion.
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The former members of La Luz del Mundo who spoke today in court expressed their disappointment with the agreement approved by the California Attorney’s Office, Rob Bonta. They assured that the Prosecutor’s Office did not consult them about the agreement.
Jane Done 4 pleaded with Judge Coen “to listen to her words” and to extend the years of the sentence. Judge Coen said his hands were tied for a higher sentence but he assured the victims that “the world has heard.”
The headquarters of the church of La Luz del Mundo in Los Angeles has not given an official statement on the sentence. Several of his senior officers and Uziel Joaquín García, the leader’s brother, were present at the audience.
Joaquín García will have to return to court on August 18 to define the monetary restitution that he will have to give to the victims. The leader will have to register as a sex offender after being released.
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The non-trinitarian Christian church La Luz del Mundo, which has its international headquarters in Guadalajara (Mexico), was founded in 1926 by Aarón Joaquín, Naasón’s grandfather. It is currently present in 60 countries and claims to have up to 5 million followers.
EFE
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