The head of a mission megacity has been jailed for more than 16 years for sexually abusing three underage girls.
Naason Joaquin Garcia, leader and self-proclaimed apostle of the Guadalajara-based La Luz del Mundo (Light of the World) church has pleaded guilty to two counts of forced oral intercourse involving a minor. and commit lewd acts with children as part of a plea agreement in order to avoid going to court for more serious crimes, including multiple rapes.
But some of his accusers said they were not consulted about the plea agreement and sentencing a sentence of 16 years and eight months was too lenient.
In victim impact statements released during Wednesday’s hearing in Los Angeles, all five said they felt robbed of the opportunity to confront Garcia more fully.
One of the anonymous accusers cried as she told Garcia: “We respect you, you are our lord, and you betrayed us.
You are nothing more than a predator and an abuser. “
Another, who identified herself as Garcia’s niece, said: “Naason and this church have ruined my life.”
Garcia’s conviction included an investigation that began in 2018 that led to his arrest the following year in Los Angeles.
Airports International with a co-defendant, Susana Medina Oaxaca, who pleaded guilty last Friday to assault with the potential to cause bodily harm.
Susana Medina Oaxaca admitted to facilitating abuse at a previous hearing. Pic: AP
La Luz del Mundo is the largest evangelical church in Mexico, dating back to the 1920s, with branches in 50 countries and approximately 5 million adherents.
When a Los Angeles judge ordered Garcia’s trial in August 2020, the church issued a statement defending their leader as falsely accused, saying the charges against him stem from “baseless anonymous allegations” and “blatant rumours”.
