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.
NaasĂłn JoaquĂn GarcĂa, 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.
