A controversial megachurch pastor from the Philippines received his indictment from the federal grand jury for forcing women to have sex with him by posing it as "God's will."
The Christian Post said Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name Church Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and his two top administrators were charged last Thursday, November 18, for sex trafficking. Accordingly, self-proclaimed "The Appointed Son of God" Quiboloy coerced girls and young women living in the United States to have sex with him after threatening them with "eternal damnation" if they didn't do so.
It's worth noting that this church is not a real Christian church. It is known among Christian circles in the Philippines as a cult.
According to a statement released by the United States Department of Justice's Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, the grand jury issued the indictment on sex trafficking based on an earlier indictment that "expands on allegations made early last year" against the three top officials who are based in Los Angeles.
The Attorney's Office explained that there are nine defendants on the case, which is a 42-count superseding indictment. The said defendants that included the top three officials have been charged "with participating in a labor trafficking scheme that brought church members to the United States, via fraudulently obtained visas, and forced the members to solicit donations for a bogus charity--the Glendale-based Children's Joy Foundation (CJF)--donations that actually were used to finance church operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders."
"The superseding indictment charges Quiboloy, Dandan and Salinas with participating in a conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, as well as the sex trafficking of children. These three defendants allegedly recruited females ranging from approximately 12 to 25 years of age to work as personal assistants, or 'pastorals', for Quiboloy," the Department of Justice said.
"The indictment states that the victims prepared Quiboloy's meals, cleaned his residences, gave him massages and were required to have sex with Quiboloy in what the pastorals called "night duty." The indictment specifically mentions five female victims, three of whom were minors when the alleged sex trafficking began," they added.
The KOJC, which started this modus operandi since 2002, also forced members to either get fraudulent student visas or to take part in a fake marriage after they have proven to be successful in soliciting for the church. The said members are forced to do such activities so that they can continue in their solicitations throughout the year.
The Attorney's Office also elaborated that the prior indictment was returned last November 10 by a federal grand jury and "expands the scope of the 2020 indictment by adding six new defendants, including the KOJC's leader, Apollo Carreon Quiboloy, who was referred to as 'The Appointed Son of God'."
In line with the release of the indictment, three of the defendants have been arrested while the rest remains at large, which includes the 71-year-old Quiboloy who is "believed to be in the Philippines." Those who were arrested are expected by the Department of Justice to make their initial appearance in the District Courts in Los Angeles and Honolulu.
The defendants were all named in the indictment along with their corresponding ages and criminal offenses in line with the case. The other defendents are 59-year-old Teresita Tolibas Dandan, 56-year-old Helen Panilag, 50-year-old Felina Salinas, 61-year-old Guia Cabactulan, 43-year-old Marissa Duenas, 50-year-old Amanda Estopare, 48-year-old Bettina Padilla Roces, and 72-year-old Maria De Leon.
