La Luz del Mundo Leader’s Child Abuse Case: Reports Differ on Dismissal and Sentencing

Naasón Joaquín García, leader of the La Luz del Mundo church, faces multiple charges of child rape and possession of child pornography. According to a report from the Los Angeles Times, the case involves several underage victims and employees of the church. The investigation began after García was reported through an online child sex abuse hotline, and prosecutors from the California attorney general’s office were preparing for a preliminary hearing to determine whether the case was strong enough to proceed to trial.

García’s lawyers publicly defended him against charges that included rape of a minor, extortion and human trafficking, according to ABC7. The church, which is based in Mexico, has faced allegations that García used religious authority to coerce victims into sexual acts by threatening divine punishment. In a 35-minute interview released by the church, García’s legal team claimed the case was built on fabricated information. Lawyer Ken Rosenfeld said everything the attorney general was saying about the case was fictional. Hearing both sides before reaching a conclusion is part of fair dealing (Proverbs 18:17).

On a Thursday, Judge George Lomeli of the Los Angeles Superior Court set bail for García at US$90 million, according to BBC News Mundo. The bail was US$40 million higher than the bail set in an earlier case, though the report’s account of that comparison is incomplete in the version available.

ABC13 reported that the California appeals court dismissed the case on a Tuesday on procedural grounds. The ruling dismissed 29 felony charges, including child rape, human trafficking and possession of child pornography. García has been in custody since June 2023. The accusations involve three girls and one woman between 2015 and 2018 in Los Angeles County.

NBC News reported a different outcome. García was sentenced to 16 years in prison for sexually abusing three minors, after pleading guilty to two counts of forcible oral copulation involving minors and performing a lewd act on a child. The sentencing took place in a California courtroom. NBC reported that García, 53, entered his plea three days before he was set to stand trial on 23 felony counts. The reports do not reconcile the dismissal described by ABC13 with the guilty plea and sentence described by NBC News.