Mexican Megachurch Leader Jailed in California for Sexually Abusing Minors, Flock Still Stays Loyal Despite Guilty Plea

A prominent Mexican spiritual leader is now behind bars in California, serving a 16-year sentence. Naason Joaquin Garcia was arrested and charged in California for sexually abusing minors. However, despite him pleading guilty to the crimes, the followers of his La Luz del Mundo (The Light of the World) church are remaining fervently loyal.

Joaquin Garcia is the current leader of La Luz del Mundo, which is considered a megachurch not only in Mexico but also in the United States. His followers consider him the "apostle" of Jesus Christ and has over five million followers worldwide.

However, he used his position of power to have sex with girls and young women. He warned them that they faced damnation if they refused.

Naason Joaquin Garcia Addresses His Congregation From Prison

According to the Associated Press, the Megachurch leader recently spoke to his congregation from his Los Angeles prison. However, despite already pleading guilty and being sentenced for sexually abusing minors and young women who were part of his congregation, crowds have gathered outside La Luz del Mundo's main temple in Guadalajara to hear him speak.

Joaquin Garcia told his followers "I do not see the bars that separate me from you," and added, "I see your beautiful faces ... because you are the children of God."

The temple blared out his message from prison, and it even reached people outside. While he delivered his message to them, nearly all closed their eyes. Some of them lifted their fists in solidarity while some of them knelt and wept.

Many of them view his imprisonment as a challenge that will strengthen their church. One member of the congregation told the Associated Press this exact sentiment. She said that the church now feels more united and church members feel more empowered.

Naason Joaquin Garcia's Guilty Plea Surprised Everyone

Joaquin Garcia's grandfather, Eusebio Joaquin Gonzalez, founded the megachurch in 1926, according to BBC. It has spread not only in Mexico, but also throughout the Americas.

It remained strong in California for years, and Joaquin Garcia often visited the state. However, when he arrived in Los Angeles in 2019 via a private jet, he was arrested along with two female followers.

Judge Ronald Coen sentenced the Mexican megachurch leader to over 16 years in prison after finding that he kept many of his followers as sex slaves. He went on to call the religious leader a sexual predator. The five young women who were abused by Joaquin Garcia and testified against him in California called him several names during the trial, including "evil and a monster," "disgusting human waste" and the "antichrist."

A victim, identified as Jane Doe 4, said she worshipped her abuser, who was revealed to also be her uncle. She said that Joaquin Garcia used her over and over again "like a sacrificial lamb taken to slaughter."

During the trial, the disgraced religious leader pleaded guilty to two counts of forcible oral copulation involving minors and one count of a lewd act upon a child. The act surprised everyone, including the victims. However, this was all part of a plea deal that led to prosecutors dropping 16 counts against him. These allegations included human trafficking and producing child pornography.

He remains in prison to this day, despite his supporters saying he is innocent.

Following the guilty verdict, the negachurch released a statement saying, "The Apostle of Jesus Christ has had no choice but to accept with much pain that the agreement presented is the best way forward to protect the church and his family."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Judge Locks Up Megachurch 'Sexual Predator' Naasón Joaquín García for More Than a Decade - Law&Crime Network