Naasón Joaquín García, leader of Guadalajara’s Luz del Mundo evangelical church, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges in a New York federal court. His 79-year-old mother faces similar accusations.
Prosecutors say the case stems from electronic devices found containing hundreds of child pornography images produced under Joaquín’s direction.
He is already serving a 16-year, 8-month sentence after pleading guilty in 2022 to sexually abusing minors in California. Joaquín’s attorneys dismissed the latest charges as recycled and previously debunked claims.
An official Luz del Mundo social media post also rejected the new accusations against its leader, maintaining he is the target of “a defamation campaign,” exacerbated by “media manipulation.”