Megachurch Pastor Gets 16 Years On Child Sex Charges

Los Angeles’s NBC News affiliate reports:

The leader of a megachurch with 5 million followers worldwide was sentenced to 16 years and eight months in prison Wednesday for sexual abuse. Naasón Joaquín García was sentenced Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court after pleading guilty to three felonies on the eve of a long-awaited trial.

García, who is considered the “apostle” of Jesus Christ by his followers, had vigorously fought the charges until he abruptly pleaded guilty last week.

García, 53, pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of forcible oral copulation involving minors and one count of a lewd act upon a child who was 15. García had been scheduled to go on trial Monday on 19 counts that also included allegations of human trafficking to produce child pornography.

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