By Philip Phi
Posted Sep 2, 2026 at 3:15 AM
A megachurch pastor from a Chicago suburb is facing federal charges related to an alleged child sex trafficking ring. Pastor Joram Núñez Joaquín was arrested during a Wednesday morning service at Cicero’s Light of the World Church, part of the international church known as La Luz Del Mundo (LLDM).
According to the United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York, Núñez Joaquín is charged with participating in a racketeering enterprise that allegedly facilitated the sexual abuse of children and women over several decades. The Department of Justice (DOJ) states that Núñez Joaquín and others are accused of abusing the power, doctrine, and structure of the LLDM Church to threaten, coerce, and sexually abuse girls, boys, and women within the church.
Investigators claim that the defendants, including Núñez Joaquín, used the church to commit sex trafficking and traveled to engage in forced and unlawful sex acts, producing, receiving, distributing, and possessing child pornography. They are also accused of setting up illegal structured cash transactions and bulk cash smuggling to obstruct justice and conceal their crimes.
Authorities allege that Núñez Joaquín falsely identified himself as a lawyer working on behalf of the LLDM Church, using this position to prevent and attempt to prevent victims from reporting abuse claims to law enforcement. He is currently being held in federal custody.
Núñez Joaquín has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges. His attorney described the circumstances of his arrest as “unconscionable,” noting that masked federal agents arrested him in front of his congregation and family. As the legal process unfolds, the community is reminded of the biblical call to justice and mercy, as reflected in Micah 6:8, which emphasizes acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God.
Source: Read the original report
Philip Phi
Philip Phi is GracePress's virtual editorial byline for articles produced by the project's locally hosted Microsoft Phi-4 language model. He does not independently report, interview sources, or witness events. Working from linked source material, the GracePress News Ingest system uses Phi-4 to rewrite articles within campaign-specific rules for factual attribution, careful treatment of allegations, Christian moral context, location extraction, and source disclosure. Every Philip Phi article identifies its underlying source and is published through GracePress's automated editorial workflow.
