Leader of megachurch with Phoenix location charged with child sex crimes

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https://amp.azcentral.com/amp/1366807001


Leader of megachurch with Phoenix location charged with child sex crimes


The leader of a megachurch with a well-known Phoenix location was charged with child sex crimes and is believed to have told his victims they were going against God if they refused his desires, law enforcement officials said.



Naasón Joaquín García, 50, and other leaders of La Luz Del Mundo (Light of the World) were charged with human trafficking, production of child pornography, forcible rape of a minor and other felonies, according to a news release from the office of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra.

La Luz Del Mundo is an international organization headquartered in Mexico with more than 1 million followers worldwide, the office said. Garcia once served as church minister at the Phoenix church, a dome-shaped location just off Interstate 10 near 16th Avenue.

Garcia and co-defendants Alondra Ocampo, Azalea Rangel Melendez and Susana Medina Oaxaca are suspected of committing 26 felonies in Southern California between 2015 and 2018 while leading the church, the office said.


The group coerced victims into performing sexual acts by telling them they were going against God if they refused to fulfill any of Garcia's desires as "the Apostle," Becerra's office said.

Ocampo and Oaxaca also were arrested. A warrant was issued for Melendez, who was at large as of Wednesday.


The investigation began in 2018, largely in response to information submitted to the California Department of Justice through a clergy abuse online complaint form.

“Crimes like those alleged in this complaint have no place in our society — period,” Becerra's statement read in part. “We must not turn a blind eye to sexual violence and trafficking in our state."

The official church website refers to Garcia as the "Apostle of Jesus Christ" and notes that he served for 22 years as the church's minister in several cities, the first being Phoenix.

He then went on to several cities in California before being anointed as deacon in 1994 and a pastor in 2000. From 2003 to 2014, he was director of the Northern Jurisdiction of the Church in Mexico, the church website said.

Garcia has been married since June 1992 and has three children.

An official church statement said the claims were false and that it "categorically rejects each and every allegation made against him."

"The Apostle of Jesus Christ has always adhered to the law and demonstrated full respect to governmental institutions and the dignity of all persons," the statement read.