Naasón Joaquín García, who heads La Luz del Mundo (The Light of the World), is being held in the US on charges of human trafficking, child rape and other felonies.
Naasón Joaquín García known as “the Apostle” among his followers, and his three female co-defendants are facing 26 charges.
In a statement released on Tuesday, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said Mr García, a Mexican national, and the three women allegedly committed 26 felonies in southern California between 2015 and 2018.
These included human trafficking, production of child sex abuse images and forcible rape of a minor.
The defendants are accused of coercing minor girls into performing sex acts. The girls were reportedly told that if they went against the wishes of “the Apostle” they would be going against God.
“Crimes like those alleged… have no place in our society. Period,” Mr Becerra said.
“We must not turn a blind eye to sexual violence and trafficking in our state.”
Mr García’s co-defendants have been named as Alondra Ocampo, Azalea Rangel Meléndez and Susana Medina Oaxaca. They are all affiliated with La Luz del Mundo.
Among them only Ms Meléndez remains at large.
In a statement [in Spanish], the organisation denied all the charges.
“We categorically reject the false allegations made against our brother Naasón Joaquín García,” the statement reads.
“In adherence to the Christian values our church preaches and practises, we reject any conduct which violates people’s dignity,” it added.
The organization has headquarters in Mexico and has more than a million followers around the globe.
In recent years its influence has spread to the US, particularly in parts of California with large Hispanic populations.
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