Susana Medina Oaxaca, accomplice of La Luz del Mundo leader Naasón Joaquín García, in a Los Angeles court in June 2019. Damian Dovarganes (AP)
New dispute in California prosecutor’s case against La Luz del Mundo church for child molestation. Susana Medina Oaxaca, assistant to Naasón Joaquín García, who heads the organization, has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor to avoid jail time. Medina Oaxaca had been identified as an accomplice in a trafficking network that facilitated sexual encounters between girls and youth with Joaquín García, known to his followers as the Apostle of Jesus Christ. In return for the plea agreement, the co-defendant was sentenced to only one year’s probation.
Joaquín García, the self-proclaimed “minister of God,” reached a last-minute settlement with prosecutors last Friday, pleading guilty to just three of the 19 charges originally filed against him. The settlement came less than 72 hours before the trial in the United States began against the leader of La Luz del Mundo, a church based in Mexico that claims to have more than five million followers in 50 countries. The religion minister admitted committing indecent acts against a young girl and forcing two minors to perform oral sex on her, but will not respond to charges including possession of child pornography, human trafficking, rape and extortion.
In court filings filed last year, the defense of the so-called apostle acknowledged that his client could face life imprisonment if found guilty. He will serve just 16 years and eight months behind bars, sources close to the case have told EL PAÍS, an essentially minor sentence that has disappointed complainants who have spoken out against the organization. Joaquín García is due to be sentenced in a Los Angeles court next Wednesday.
The guilty plea of Joaquín García, a well-known pastor with strong political connections, drew media attention over the weekend and diverted attention from the charges against his co-defendants. That same Friday, Medina Oaxaca pleaded guilty to a crime of sexual assault — an assault that can result in bodily harm — but will no longer be charged with forcing a minor to have oral sex with her former boss, as well as engaging in fellatio directly has involved.
Medina Oaxaca was arrested along with Joaquín García on June 5, 2019 at Los Angeles Airport after they got off the private jet of the La Luz del Mundo leader. As part of the pastor’s inner circle, she and two other women were selected to recruit “virgins” for ministry in the “apostle’s” home, which was seen as one of the greatest “blessings” within the church. After gaining the girls’ trust, the harassment grew until the assistants convinced the minors to take erotic photos, record sexual videos and participate in sexual activities and be abused by Joaquín García.
One of the three oral sex charges the religious leader admitted was against Juana Nobody 3 (referred to as Jane Doe 3 in the court summary), an applicant who was a minor at the time of the crimes. Medina Oaxaca was involved in the testimony of this victim. “Susie [Medina Oaxaca] told him to come into the room,” one of the legal documents reads. “She went to the bed [de Naasón] and Miss Susie took his hand and began massaging Mr Garcia’s penis on his pajamas,” another excerpt observes. Next, Medina Oaxaca undressed the apostle and instructed the girl to continue touching him to the point of forced oral copulation, although the girl had asked him not to do so. “[Juana Nadie 3] She performed oral sex on Mr. Garcia for five minutes and then felt disgusted,” says one FBI agent.
After posting $150,000 bail, the co-defendant was placed under house arrest from her home in the border city of San Diego and tracked by a geolocation device. He will not answer the allegation of oral sex. In addition to probation, he will receive six months of psychological care, according to Univisión, citing prosecution sources.
Alondra Ocampo, another of Naasón Joaquín’s assistants, was the first to reach an agreement with prosecutors in 2020. However, she did so under different conditions: cooperation with prosecutors, testifying against her former boss, and obtaining a reduced sentence. He accepted four charges: three related to contacting a minor for sexual purposes and the fourth to penetrating another person against their will. “Alondra did it because this man was God’s representative on earth, he was indoctrinated all his life to believe in it and in the Joaquín family,” argued his attorney Fred Thiagarajah in a 2021 interview with that newspaper. Ocampo, who would take the stand during the trial, would affirm during the trial that she was also a victim of abuse. Azalea Rangel, the third accomplice, remains on the run and is holding out in Mexico, according to former members of the Church.
The largest lawsuit against a religious leader in Mexico ended with three pleadings across the United States and amid a sea of criticism. “This verdict can never undo the damage, but it will help protect future generations,” the California attorney general’s office said. But the pacts with the apostle and his accomplices are fraught with controversy. After three years of comings and goings, one of Naasón’s main mediators, Joaquín García, will not set foot in jail.
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