New Charges Against Former Megachurch Leader & Five Others Spark Harsh Response From LLDM, Calling Survivors ‘Disgruntled Former Congregants’
“For La Luz Del Mundo to claim these survivors is lying is not only false and insensitive – it is cruel and shows the absolute void of morality or compassion.” – Jeff Anderson
In recent news, former La Luz Del Mundo (LLDM) megachurch leader, Naasón Joaquín García, along with five others, have been charged with racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking for allegedly victimizing LLDM members for decades. García is already serving a 16-year sentence for sexually assaulting minors.
In response to these charges LLDM sent out a press release, blatantly dismissing the claims that the survivors were sexually assaulted. In the release they claimed that:
“The revealed charges are not based on the truth, but on the voices of a handful of disgruntled former congregants: individuals with pending accounts, personal revenge to pursue and, in many cases, an economic benefit to be obtained through civil lawsuits.”
La Luz del Mundo’s statement attempting to discredit survivors of sexual abuse is both deeply harmful and profoundly untrue. Survivors are not lying — they are courageously telling the truth about the abuse after years of suffering In silence. Their courage in coming forward deserves respect and support, not denial and dismissal.
“The crimes committed by Naasón Joaquín García are a true violation of humanity. The amount of trauma, despair and hardship he has burdened countless survivors with is immeasurable. It is disheartening that current La Luz Del Mundo leadership is still choosing to protect predators over protecting children.” – Jeff Anderson
Sochil Martin, a LLDM survivor who we represent, has been a prominent advocate who has courageously voiced her experience, trauma and truth. We stand with her and all La Luz Del Mundo survivors as the truth continues to be unveiled.
Background:
La Luz del Mundo has over 2,000 locations in nearly 60 countries. The church claims to have between 1 to 5 million followers. Former leader Naasón Joaquín García, was regarded as a modern-day “apostle” of Jesus Christ. According to multiple survivors and reports, LLDM leadership has built and maintained a system to groom children for sexual abuse and assault by García and, previously, by his father and predecessor Flores, (now deceased).
Furthermore, the widely known lavish lifestyles of LLDM leaders is reported to be funded by unpaid labor and financial exploitation of its members. Survivors have reported working tens of thousands of hours with no compensation in addition to making significant financial contributions to the organization. It is not uncommon for families to sign over the title to their homes to LLDM leadership.
In 2019, García was arrested for more than a dozen sex crimes including human trafficking, forcing children to perform oral sex, forced labor, and more.