Mega Church Leader Pleads Not Guilty to Sex Trafficking Charges

The head of Mexico-based evangelical megachurch La Luz del Mundo has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges in a New York court.

Naasón Joaquín García, 56, is already serving a 16-year prison sentence in California after admitting to sexually abusing girls from his congregation in 2022.

In a newly unsealed indictment, U.S. prosecutors allege that García, his mother, and four associates used the church to traffic women and children to the United States. The charges also include child pornography, forced labor, and unlawful financial dealings.

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said the defendants “exploited the faith of their followers to prey upon them” and then used their influence and resources to silence victims. Prosecutors further allege that García continued a pattern of abuse started by his father and grandfather, both former leaders of the church.

García’s lawyer dismissed the case as “a rehashing of old, recycled claims,” while La Luz del Mundo issued a statement rejecting the allegations as “unfounded, untrue and slanderous.”

Founded in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1926, the church claims millions of followers worldwide, particularly in Mexico and Hispanic communities in the U.S. Despite García’s conviction, many members still regard him as “the Apostle of Jesus Christ” and remain loyal.

 

Featured Image: Reuters