Mexican megachurch leader Naasón Joaquín García pleads not guilty to sex trafficking charges

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NEW YORK (AP) — Mexican megachurch leader Naasón Joaquín García pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to sex trafficking charges during his first appearance in a New York federal court, where he is charged along with his 79-year-old mother with sexually abusing generations of young followers.

Two weeks ago, an unsealed indictment in Manhattan accused García, 56, of Los Angeles, of using his position as head of La Luz del Mundo (The Light of the World) church to sexually abuse children and women. The indictment said his father and grandfather, both deceased, did the same before him.

At a hearing before Judge Loretta A. Preska, García listened to a Spanish translator through headphones and sometimes spoke English.

After García pleaded not guilty, Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Espinosa said there was an enormous amount of electronic evidence in the case, including evidence from a 2019 California state prosecution that led to a prison sentence of more than 16 years, which García is currently serving.

She said over two dozen additional electronic devices were seized two weeks ago during raids on three locations in the Central District of California, which includes Los Angeles.

Prosecutors said photos and videos of child sex abuse have been seized.

The church was used for sex trafficking of women and children in the United States, Mexico, Europe, Asia, Africa, and elsewhere, according to court documents, which said the church claims a presence in over 50 countries and millions of members worldwide, although reliable membership statistics are not available.

In the United States, the church has locations in California, New York, Nevada, Texas, Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey, and Washington D.C., among other places, prosecutors said.

As the leader of the church, García was considered the “Apostle,” and church members were taught that God will punish and eternally damn anyone who doubts the Apostle, fails to follow his teachings or defies the Apostle, prosecutors said in a court document that successfully argued that bail not be granted to García's mother.

Prosecutors say they have seized hundreds of child pornography images that were created at García's direction and sent to him via cellphone.

They also said García enriched himself and others by forcing church followers to work in construction or as nannies, aides, accountants, cleaners and other jobs for long hours with no pay.

A lawyer for Garcia did not immediately return a request for comment on Tuesday.

Two weeks ago, attorney Alan Jackson, representing García, called the indictment the result of “a reckless campaign of government overreach.”

He denied the charges, calling them “a rehashing of old, recycled claims that have been made before, scrutinized before, and ultimately debunked and disproven before.”

Nicholas Biase, a spokesperson for prosecutors, said the investigation is continuing and urged anyone victimized in the case to call the prosecutor's office or email them at [email protected].”

García's next hearing was scheduled for Dec. 15.