Naasón Joaquín García, who serves as leader of the La Luz del Mundo church, pleaded guilty this Friday to at least three charges related to sexual abuse of minors, reported California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
The prosecutor indicated that the plea agreement for the so-called “Apostle of Jesus Christ” includes multiple serious crimes of sexual assault involving three minors.
García, of 53 years, faced 19 charges that included rape of minors, human trafficking and possession of child pornography.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for next Wednesday, June 8 at a Los Angeles court.
“As the leader of La Luz del Mundo, Naasón Joaquín García used his power to take advantage of children. He trusted those around him to prepare parishioners for sexual assault purposes,” Bonta said in a statement.
The prosecutor added that although a guilty plea was obtained this Friday, “he will never be able to repair the damage, but it will help protect future generations.”
The pastor was arrested on June 3, 2019 along with one of his assistants, identified as Susana Medina Oaxaca, after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport in a private plane.
Like García and Oaxaca, Alondra Ocampo and Azalea Rangel Meléndez face charges in the same case, the latter faces a search and arrest warrant
Meanwhile, Ocampo, who pleaded guilty to four charges in October 2020, was a potential witness against Garcia during the trial.
Oaxaca also pleaded guilty this Friday in court on charges of assault that probably would cause you serious bodily harm, the prosecutor said.
Bonta also reported that the investigation, which formally began in 2018, ended with arrest of García, Oaxaca and Ocampo a year later.
The bail figure for García, which reached $90 million dollars, was the highest in California history.
The Light of the World Church, whose international headquarters are in Guadalajara, Mexico, was founded in 550 by Aaron Joaquín, García’s grandfather, and is present in 60 countries, and according to the organization religious, has up to 5 million parishioners.