Religious leader of La Luz del Mundo accused of child exploitation and sex trafficking

The leader of the Light of the World Church , Naasón Joaquín García , faces new charges in the United States for conspiracy to commit extortion, sex trafficking and child exploitation, along with several of his collaborators and relatives.

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York , in coordination with HSI and IRS-CI , announced the unsealing of a formal indictment against Naasón and five co-defendants for operating an alleged criminal organization called “Joaquín LLDM Enterprise,” which for decades engaged in the sexual and financial exploitation of church members.

According to the indictment, Naasón, his mother, Eva García, his close circle, and other accomplices used their position of power within the church to commit sexual abuse against girls, boys, and women, produce child pornography, profit from donations, and obstruct investigations.

The court document indicates that the exploitation scheme was established since the founding of the church in 1926, and continued by his grandfather, Eusebio Joaquín González, and his father, Samuel Joaquín Flores , who died in 2014.

Prosecutors allege that the network of accomplices recruited, manipulated, and coerced the victims through religious and social threats, instilling fear of eternal damnation if they did not obey Naasón.

“ They took advantage of the faith of their followers to abuse them (…) This Prosecutor's Office will hold Naasón and those who contributed to this alleged abuse fully accountable,” said Prosecutor Clayton.

• Naasón Joaquín García was taken into federal custody in California, where he is serving a state sentence for child sexual abuse.
• Eva García de Joaquín was arrested in Los Angeles.
• Joram Núñez Joaquín was arrested in Chicago.
• Rosa Sosa, Azalia Rangel García, and Silem García Peña are fugitives in Mexico; the United States will request their extradition.

Federal authorities in New York indicated that the victims were transported between countries to satisfy Naasón's wishes, while donations from parishioners were used for travel, luxuries, the purchase of sex toys, and the destruction of evidence.