The leader and self-proclaimed apostle of La Luz del Mundo, a Mexico-based church that claims over 1 million followers, has been charged with human trafficking and child rape, California officials announced.
LOS ANGELES — The leader and self-proclaimed apostle of La Luz del Mundo, a Mexico-based church with branches in the U.S. that claims over 1 million followers, has been charged with human trafficking and child rape, California officials announced Tuesday.
García, 50, faces 26 counts of felony charges that range from human trafficking and production of child pornography to rape of a minor. The charges detail a series of disturbing allegations involving three girls and one woman between 2015 and 2018 in Los Angeles County. García told one of the victims and others in 2017, after they had completed a"flirty" dance wearing"as little clothing as possible," that kings can have mistresses and an apostle of God cannot be judged for his actions, the complaint states.
"We categorically deny those false accusations," Correa said."We know him personally and he is an honorable and honest man." A third follower, Alondra Ocampo, 36, was arrested in Los Angeles County and is being held ahead of her arraignment Wednesday in Los Angeles. A fourth defendant, Azalea Rangel Melendez, remains at large.In May, an opera concert at Palacio de Bellas Artes, the main cultural venue in Mexico, generated controversy because in some places it was presented as a tribute to García. Critics said a secular state such as Mexico shouldn't use a public place for that purpose.
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