FILIPINO MEGACHURCH PASTOR THREATENED YOUNG GIRLS WITH PHYSICAL ABUSE AND ‘ETERNAL DAMNATION’ IF THEY DIDN’T HAVE SEX WITH HIM, ALLEGES DOJ

Controversial megachurch pastor and founder of the Philippines-based Kingdom of Jesus Christ Church, Apollo Carreon Quiboloy, and two of his top administrators have been charged with organizing a sex-trafficking scheme that prosecutors allege stretched at least 16 years and forced young girls to have sex with church leaders or face “eternal damnation.”

The US Department of Justice announced the grand jury indictment, filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California, on Thursday. It outlines allegations from five female victims, three of whom were minors at the time.

“Defendant Quiboloy and other KOJC administrators coerced pastorals into performing ‘night duty’ — that is, sex — with defendant Quiboloy under the threat of physical and verbal abuse and eternal damnation by defendant Quiboloy and other KOJC administrators,” the indictment alleged. “Defendant Quiboloy and other KOJC administrators told pastorals that performing ‘night duty’ was ‘God’s will’ and a privilege, as well as a necessary demonstration of the pastoral’s commitment to give her body to defendant Quiboloy as ‘The Appointed Son of God.’”

Quiboloy and the others have also been accused of sending church members to the US with fraudulently obtained student visas or sham marriages to solicit donations for the church’s charity, based in the Los Angeles. He is also said to have allegedly had his victims, whom he called ‘pastorals,’ cook his meals, clean his houses and travel around the world with him. The women and girls ages ranged from around 12 to 25.

Workers who managed to escape from the church told the FBI that they worked year-round and were beaten and psychologically abused if they didn´t make daily quotas, according to court documents from the previous indictment. Some described having to live in cars at truck stops.

The church’s legal team KCJ Legal, via the SMNI News Channel, released a statement following the announcement of the most recent charges.

“We are confident and ready to face whatever is hurled against pastor Quiboloy and the kingdom leaders. We trust the process of justice and we certainly expect the truth to prevail and the kingdom ministry will continue to prosper.”

“People may have tried to silence Pastor Quiboloy, but they cannot put down the Kingdom nation,” the statement continued. “They will never detract from the mission and the ministry of The Kingdom. It will never stop. It will go on forever.”

Quiboloy, 71, founded the KOJC Restorationist church in the Philippines in 1985 and claims to have more than 6 million members worldwide, according to reports by the Asian Times in 2016.

Source: The Insider