1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:05,840 Speaker 1: Before we jump in, we must warn you this episode 2 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:09,880 Speaker 1: contains explicit content, such as sexual abuse that may be 3 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 1: disturbing to some people. Listener discretion is advised. Also, if 4 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 1: this is the first time you're listening to Sacred Scandal, 5 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:19,760 Speaker 1: everything will make a lot more sense if you start 6 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:34,480 Speaker 1: with episode one. It's June fourth, twenty nineteen, and California 7 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:38,559 Speaker 1: Attorney General Javirvescera is beaming behind his high podium in 8 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:41,880 Speaker 1: a tailored gray suit. He called a press conference to 9 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 1: announce a major sting, the high level arrest of mega 10 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 1: church leader Nassan jo Quing Garcia and two of his 11 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: thrick defendants. 12 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:56,480 Speaker 2: These four defendants are presumed innocent unlasted until proven guilty, 13 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 2: but make no mistake, we are going to act vigorously 14 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:06,039 Speaker 2: to prosecute these individuals and bring this case to. 15 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:09,760 Speaker 1: A close to his right stance. An American flag and 16 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:12,760 Speaker 1: a huge poster showing the mockshots of Nasson and his 17 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: two groomers, Alondre Campo and Susanna Medinawahaka. The picture at 18 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: the very bottom is sunny smiling archival photo of still 19 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: at large Asaljell makes for a stark contrast. 20 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 3: As you can see this has become a case that 21 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 3: goes far beyond one individual, one clergy member, one victim. 22 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 3: If you are a survivor of abuse in this particular case, 23 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:45,040 Speaker 3: or you have information about the misconduct of anyone involved 24 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:50,280 Speaker 3: in this case, we want to hear from you. We 25 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 3: want you to report any incident that you're aware of. 26 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 3: You deserve justice and we want to help you pursue it. 27 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 3: We are asking to please come forward and share what 28 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 3: you know. 29 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 1: The temporary lifting of the statue of limitations for sexual 30 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 1: abuse in California opened a window for anyone to bring 31 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:14,919 Speaker 1: forth anonymous complaints to the Age's office, no matter when 32 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:18,399 Speaker 1: the crimes were committed. But that doesn't mean a thing 33 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: if actual survivors aren't willing to speak up before a jury. 34 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 1: So the Attorney General's office made it easier for victims 35 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 1: to get in touch. Ag Besra points to another poster. 36 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: This one is playing in bright colors, a website and 37 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 1: a telephone number for survivors to call with information. 38 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 4: We hope to prosecute this to the end, but we 39 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:43,360 Speaker 4: were able to succeed in finding victims who came forward 40 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 4: because we guaranteed them confidentiality and we hope now we'll 41 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 4: be able to confidently assure them success in this prosecution. 42 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 1: The hotline worked the Five Brave Women whom we met 43 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 1: last episode. The Jane Doees came forward and agreed to 44 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:05,639 Speaker 1: help Agibecera prosecute Nason. With the evidence and testimony they provided, 45 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 1: the State of California was able to bring multiple criminal 46 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 1: accounts against Nason, Ka gin Garcia and his accomplices, many 47 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: of which would carry life sentences for each counter. There 48 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:20,800 Speaker 1: was abundant evidence of guilt between a Song, Susanna, and 49 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 1: Alondras confiscated devices, there were over one hundred thousand digital images, lost, 50 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:30,679 Speaker 1: text messages, emails, and phone calls, many of them depicting 51 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: underage children, most of them belonging to his own flock. 52 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: There were also things like discarded soiled underwear provided by 53 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: his victims, recorded conversations, diaries, letters, tokens, and the searing 54 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: testimonies from the five main witnesses. A case with this 55 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: much evidence and five credible witnesses ready to testify it 56 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: before a jury should have been a slum dunk for 57 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 1: the prosecution. Even Nason's lawyer, Alan Jackson, who was well 58 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: known for defending celebrity abusers like Kevin Spacey and Harvey 59 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 1: Weinstein wasn't feeling too confident about his client's chances. In 60 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 1: a letter to Judge Cohen, he mentions that his client 61 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 1: could very well end up spending the rest of his 62 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:20,159 Speaker 1: life in prison. But instead of life in prison, Nason 63 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 1: jua Qing Garcia got a PLI deal. In exchange for 64 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:26,040 Speaker 1: taking it. He will spend a little over sixteen years 65 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 1: in prison and a lifetime of sex offender status. And 66 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:34,479 Speaker 1: that's it compared to the sentences other cult leaders who 67 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: sexually abuse their followers have received. It's basically a slap 68 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 1: on the wrist. So what went wrong? Was the evidence 69 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: stampered with? Were the witnesses called lying? No, it was 70 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 1: something much more stupid. In this episode, we discuss how 71 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: prosecutorial miscond allow the church to spin the plea deal 72 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 1: as a win, and what chances of justice are left 73 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 1: for the victims of la Udelmundo and Roberta Garsandi is 74 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:15,279 Speaker 1: Acred Scandal, Season two, episode eleven, A Deal with the Devil. 75 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 1: One of the first things the church did after Nason 76 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:40,039 Speaker 1: was arrested was mount apr campaign in his defense. It 77 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: when something like this Nason is innocent, The women accusing 78 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: him are greedy liars controlled by the devil, and the 79 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:50,640 Speaker 1: congregation should stop watching the news or using the internet 80 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: because nothing they see there can be trusted. In fact, 81 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 1: it's best for church members to get their information directly 82 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:01,160 Speaker 1: from ledn ministers or trusted leaders. 83 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:05,920 Speaker 5: When he was first arrested, I didn't believe, you know, 84 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 5: he had committed the crimes that he was being charged with. 85 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 1: That's Nellie Aguilar, a long time prosecutor turned criminal defense 86 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:17,839 Speaker 1: lawyer living in Fresno, California, and a former member of 87 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:21,040 Speaker 1: La Lous del Mundo. At the time of nason'ce arrest, 88 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 1: she was still a member of the church and even 89 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: did some legal work for them. That's how she met 90 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:27,600 Speaker 1: the apostle. 91 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:32,720 Speaker 5: He was always very respectful with me. He was very kind, 92 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 5: So I didn't believe when these charges were filed. 93 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 1: Nelly was so convinced of Nasson's innocence that she volunteered 94 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 1: to set up his bail. But little by little Nellie 95 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 1: noticed something was off. 96 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 5: Once I started hearing arguments from his lawyers. Once I 97 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 5: started hearing different aspects of the details, then I started thinking, O, 98 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 5: wait a minute, no, there's something there. 99 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:06,479 Speaker 1: As an attorney, Nelly knew how the low and criminal 100 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 1: defense trials worked, and she noticed that what the church 101 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 1: was saying didn't really add. 102 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 5: Up, especially because it was still kind of going to 103 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 5: church on Sundays and hearing what the leadership was telling 104 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 5: the ministers to say about the case. So that wasn't 105 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:25,560 Speaker 5: driving with me. 106 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 1: Early on in this case, Nasson's defense filed an appeal 107 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 1: to dismiss all charges on a technicality and one. 108 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 5: So they made it sound like it was this big victory, 109 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 5: so people were expecting him to get out, But. 110 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 1: Nelly knew Nason was not going to get out of anything. 111 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:50,600 Speaker 5: Because the prosecution was going to refile the case as 112 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 5: soon as it was dismissed. 113 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:56,000 Speaker 1: After a couple of the defenses other appeals were rejected 114 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 1: as groundless, the church tried to spin the facts. 115 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:04,880 Speaker 5: The leadership tells the members he's being set up, everybody's 116 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 5: being bought. 117 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 1: LDM told their members that each and every level of 118 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: the American judicial system had been bribed by enemies of 119 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 1: the church, and that Nasson was being set up. But 120 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 1: Nelly knows that's just not how the California court system operates. 121 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 5: If you really look at the number of judges that 122 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:28,480 Speaker 5: saw this case in the Superior Court in LA there 123 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 5: was at least six judges at various stages who saw 124 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 5: this case and did not release him. There was multiple 125 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:42,319 Speaker 5: judges at the appellate level who saw the multiple appeals, 126 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:45,840 Speaker 5: and then there were the judges of the Supreme Court. 127 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:53,439 Speaker 1: The church also told his followers that the video evidence 128 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: in the trial was created by deep fakes, and Isa 129 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 1: Flows remembers the church priming its members to these leave 130 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:04,560 Speaker 1: the video and photographic evidence by teaching its congregation how 131 00:09:04,559 --> 00:09:05,960 Speaker 1: to face tune up worked. 132 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 6: They brought down the projector screen and they showed us 133 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 6: a video about how people use this deep face app 134 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 6: to put people in videos or change their faces and 135 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 6: make it look like they're talking and stuff like that. 136 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 6: And I was like, well, that's weird. Why would they 137 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:23,040 Speaker 6: show us that. That's crazy. 138 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:26,560 Speaker 1: Elisa and the rest of the believers had no idea 139 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:30,520 Speaker 1: what Nason was actually charged with. Nobody ever told them, 140 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 1: but Nellie knew that if the videos were actually deep fakes, 141 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:36,600 Speaker 1: Nason's lawyers would bring that up to the judge and 142 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:38,199 Speaker 1: throw the prosecution's case. 143 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 5: Nathan had like the best attorneys in the US. He 144 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 5: had the best law firm, and they had the best experts. 145 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:52,480 Speaker 5: They had a forensic expert from Florida that they flew 146 00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 5: to California to look at the evidence. Had they found 147 00:09:56,640 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 5: an inkling of the videos, the photographs being doctored, being fake, 148 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:09,080 Speaker 5: being manipulated anyway, they would have not hesitated to follow 149 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:12,200 Speaker 5: emotion excluding those, but they never did. 150 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:16,720 Speaker 1: As time passed and news of the hearing spread, it 151 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:20,320 Speaker 1: became more difficult for LALM to fully control what its 152 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:24,440 Speaker 1: congregation was seeing and hearing, So the church started telling 153 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 1: its members that what Naissan's defense lawyers acknowledged as fact 154 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:31,120 Speaker 1: before the court might not be what actually happened. 155 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:36,120 Speaker 5: You cannot as an officer of the court, as an attorney, 156 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:41,400 Speaker 5: you cannot tell a lie to the judge for strategy purposes. 157 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:46,119 Speaker 1: For instance, Nason's lawyers may have argued that the apostles 158 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 1: did have sex with these women, but that it was 159 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:52,680 Speaker 1: totally consensual. So the church told its congregation that even 160 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 1: though that's what the lawyers said, it was a strategic 161 00:10:55,880 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 1: lie because the Apostle of God would never have sexual 162 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:03,160 Speaker 1: relations with this of women or with underage children, and 163 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:06,360 Speaker 1: that the videos were deep fakes planted there by some 164 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:08,440 Speaker 1: of the alleged victims out of pure evil. 165 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:12,920 Speaker 5: The church is being told, well, you know strategy, It's okay, 166 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:16,560 Speaker 5: they're lying to get them out. That's not true. You 167 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:19,560 Speaker 5: can't do that as a lawyer. So all of those 168 00:11:19,559 --> 00:11:21,439 Speaker 5: red flags started kindly up for me. 169 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:30,679 Speaker 1: A year after Nason was arrested, the church's annual Santa 170 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:34,360 Speaker 1: Sna celebration was much less grandiose than in previous years, 171 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:36,800 Speaker 1: not just because it was the middle of the COVID 172 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:40,880 Speaker 1: nineteen pandemic, but also because their leader, Nason was still 173 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:45,240 Speaker 1: behind bars. To everyone's surprise and awe, at the Grand 174 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:48,840 Speaker 1: Temple in Armossa Provincia, the leaders played its congregation and 175 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:51,360 Speaker 1: audio message from their beloved. 176 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:59,800 Speaker 5: Apostle yielded bar your man. 177 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:06,040 Speaker 1: I do not see the bars that separate me from you, 178 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 1: He told his followers, I see your beautiful faces because 179 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:14,640 Speaker 1: you are the children of God. And then the apostle 180 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:18,120 Speaker 1: told his believers to repeat after him, I promise you 181 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:22,040 Speaker 1: Lord that whatever the suffering, I will never abandon you, 182 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:29,800 Speaker 1: and they all burst out crying. This is how the 183 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 1: man called Nason qua quing Garcia went from alleged abuser 184 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 1: to martyr. As the congregation carried on with its celebrations 185 00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 1: in Armosa Provincia, the preliminary hearings reviewing Nassan's criminal activities 186 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:48,719 Speaker 1: were underway in California. 187 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:50,840 Speaker 5: During the same time that the churches having this very 188 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 5: important celebration. All of the dirty laundry and the horrible 189 00:12:56,760 --> 00:13:01,280 Speaker 5: things that were being done are coming now through testimony. 190 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:05,560 Speaker 1: A preliminary hearing is where the prosecution presents all the 191 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 1: evidence and testimony to convince the court there's enough substantial 192 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:12,720 Speaker 1: grounds to bring the case to trial. And Nelly followed 193 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:13,760 Speaker 1: those hearings closely. 194 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 5: So what was coming out is that Nasan's iPhone and 195 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:26,000 Speaker 5: iPad had many videos and photographs, and there was very 196 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:29,679 Speaker 5: graphic and detailed about what they were doing. 197 00:13:30,679 --> 00:13:33,840 Speaker 1: In the videos and photographs. Nellie is talking about NASONI 198 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 1: is having sex with multiple people, including with his co defendants, 199 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 1: and not just playing missionary position sex. 200 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:48,440 Speaker 5: They found a video of Nason and Sustana Wajaka having sex. 201 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 5: They described that scene as you know, being very solacious, 202 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:59,280 Speaker 5: where at the end she's given them oral copulation and 203 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:03,079 Speaker 5: then bidding his own semen back into his own mouth, 204 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:06,560 Speaker 5: which was I'm like, oh, my gosh. 205 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:09,440 Speaker 1: In another video, Nason is having sex with one of 206 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:12,240 Speaker 1: his co defendants and someone who looks like a miner. 207 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:16,720 Speaker 5: Then there's videos of Asaliah, you know, his other code defendant, 208 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:19,720 Speaker 5: having sex with the boy that has a mask. 209 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:23,240 Speaker 1: It wasn't enough that the videos had been found on 210 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 1: his iPhone. Investigators also found records showing how many times 211 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:30,280 Speaker 1: the videos had been accessed, on what dates, and for 212 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 1: how long, proving they were not just planted there without 213 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 1: Nason's knowwch. 214 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 5: They knew when he was looking at those pictures and videos, 215 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:44,320 Speaker 5: And even on June third, right before his arrest, they 216 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:47,120 Speaker 5: said one of the videos, he was looking at it, 217 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:49,800 Speaker 5: and they were very specific. They said four hundred and 218 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 5: seventy eight seconds, which would amount to like seven minutes. 219 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:57,880 Speaker 5: Some of those videos were taking in his home in Wallalajada, 220 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:01,320 Speaker 5: right across the street from the church. Some of those 221 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:04,800 Speaker 5: videos were taken on February fourteenth of twenty nineteen, the 222 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 5: day that you know, you have this big celebration in 223 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 5: the church. I mean, they had all of those details, 224 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:14,400 Speaker 5: They had the GPS locations of where the videos were taken. 225 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:16,240 Speaker 5: They had all of that. 226 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:20,840 Speaker 1: So Naissan's defense team couldn't argue that the apostle was 227 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:24,040 Speaker 1: unaware he had child pornography on his phone, that he 228 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: was framed, or that it was a setup as the 229 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 1: church told the believers. The evidence was crystal clear. 230 00:15:31,480 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 5: One of the videos that was discussed and testified at 231 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:40,760 Speaker 5: court was of himself recording the scene, and he's recording 232 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 5: it both with his iPad which is set in one place, 233 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 5: and then his iPad shows him coming onto the scene 234 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 5: with his phone recording it from a different angle. When 235 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:56,760 Speaker 5: the officers or the detective was asked, could you identify 236 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:00,040 Speaker 5: him in the video? Could you see his face? And 237 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 5: the detectives said, oh, absolutely, you could see him in 238 00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:03,640 Speaker 5: the video. 239 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 1: Nellie could no longer ignore the truth. 240 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:11,800 Speaker 5: Not everybody can access all that information. Me as a lawyer, 241 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:14,120 Speaker 5: I was able to because I know how to do that, 242 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:18,120 Speaker 5: but you know, the common church member doesn't know how 243 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:21,240 Speaker 5: to do that. Once I started getting this information, I said, 244 00:16:21,280 --> 00:16:22,360 Speaker 5: you know, I can't do this. 245 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:24,920 Speaker 1: That's when she left the church. 246 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:30,000 Speaker 5: I can't believe in somebody who is engaging in this 247 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:36,000 Speaker 5: kind of conduct, who is supposed to be taking care 248 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:41,560 Speaker 5: of the church. Because we were taught that the apostle's 249 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:46,440 Speaker 5: job was to take care of the church, to keep 250 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:51,640 Speaker 5: her pure, not to abuse her. 251 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 1: From that point on, Nelly kept a close eye on 252 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 1: the case. 253 00:16:56,520 --> 00:17:00,120 Speaker 5: There were some mistakes. In my opinion, that the the 254 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:00,960 Speaker 5: kitchen maid. 255 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:12,440 Speaker 1: That's next after the break. Nason qua Quing Garcia was 256 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:15,399 Speaker 1: arrested in twenty nineteen, but it took four years for 257 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:18,399 Speaker 1: his plea deal to be handed down. It's not exactly 258 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:21,240 Speaker 1: unusual for a criminal case to be delayed and delayed 259 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:25,359 Speaker 1: on like civil cases. The onus is on the prosecutor 260 00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:29,040 Speaker 1: to prove beyond the reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty, 261 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:32,240 Speaker 1: and there's a lot of regulations governing how a trial 262 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:33,160 Speaker 1: can proceed. 263 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:40,879 Speaker 7: In our legal system. There are rules, and effectively those 264 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:42,520 Speaker 7: rules are created to make it. 265 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:43,160 Speaker 8: A fair fight. 266 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:47,800 Speaker 1: That's Joey Jeditson, the lawyer who represents the Jane Doees 267 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:51,520 Speaker 1: in their ongoing civil case against Nason and Ledm. We 268 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:53,960 Speaker 1: met her in the last episode when she counseled the 269 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:55,879 Speaker 1: five women during the criminal case. 270 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:00,480 Speaker 7: The law does not always get it right, and in 271 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:04,199 Speaker 7: this case, there were so much that was working against 272 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:09,720 Speaker 7: these victims. In my opinion, and as time has passed, 273 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 7: I have become a lot more enraged and a lot 274 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:14,280 Speaker 7: more incense. 275 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:19,040 Speaker 1: The rules Joy mentioned before, the ones created to make 276 00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:22,200 Speaker 1: sure a fair trial occurs, that everyone is innocent until 277 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:25,879 Speaker 1: proven guilty, and each party has a fighting chance, also 278 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:30,680 Speaker 1: create a lot of opportunities to delay proceedings, to file 279 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:33,800 Speaker 1: motions and appeals when those rules are not being followed. 280 00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:37,600 Speaker 1: It's a strategy Neliaguilar recognized early. 281 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:40,919 Speaker 5: On, because the longer you prolong a case like this, 282 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:47,160 Speaker 5: witnesses like victims will get tired. They'll move away though, 283 00:18:47,640 --> 00:18:51,320 Speaker 5: maybe pass away or whatever, you know, so to diminish 284 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:54,280 Speaker 5: the possibility of going to trial. That's one of them. 285 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:57,840 Speaker 5: Another strategy in this case was a lot of appeals 286 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 5: were being filed, so that also prolonged everything. 287 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:07,680 Speaker 1: Remember that first appeal what Nelly said the Church presented 288 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:10,800 Speaker 1: as a big victory that was based on a pretty 289 00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:14,440 Speaker 1: minor technicality. When someone is charged with a crime, they 290 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:17,720 Speaker 1: have a right to a preliminary hearing within ten court days. 291 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:20,520 Speaker 1: It's to make sure the case is viable and that 292 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:24,280 Speaker 1: a wrongfully accused person doesn't trot in jail while waiting 293 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:25,480 Speaker 1: to be formally charged. 294 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:26,920 Speaker 6: Well. 295 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:31,360 Speaker 5: In Nasson's particular case, he had based on the time 296 00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:36,359 Speaker 5: wivers that they had entered during the various hearings. His 297 00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:39,720 Speaker 5: preliminary hearing needed to be heard by September twenty third 298 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:43,719 Speaker 5: of twenty nineteen. On that day, you know, his attorney 299 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:46,160 Speaker 5: showed up to the courts that we haven't been provided 300 00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:49,439 Speaker 5: with all discovery. We're not ready well because of that 301 00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:52,359 Speaker 5: technicality that he was supposed to have his preliminary hearing 302 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 5: on the twenty third, but his case was continued till 303 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 5: the twenty sixth. That technicality caused that case to be dismissed. 304 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:05,359 Speaker 1: When the DA's office refiled the charges at the end 305 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:08,199 Speaker 1: of July, they made sure all delays were waived and 306 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:12,960 Speaker 1: accounted for. But Nason's lawyers found another issue to appeal, 307 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:15,840 Speaker 1: a much more serious one this time. 308 00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 8: As Joey explains, I am legally required to give all 309 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:26,399 Speaker 8: of the evidence within my control and the control of 310 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:31,120 Speaker 8: my clients over to the defense and the defense attorneys. 311 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:34,600 Speaker 7: So that they could use that to be able to 312 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:38,000 Speaker 7: kind of bring forward their case same with them. And 313 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:42,840 Speaker 7: this is something that is very very very controlled because 314 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:44,880 Speaker 7: we need this to be a fair fight. 315 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:48,320 Speaker 1: But it turns out the DA did not provide the 316 00:20:48,359 --> 00:20:50,960 Speaker 1: defense with all their evidence. 317 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:56,040 Speaker 7: And one of the things that the prosecution the Attorney 318 00:20:56,080 --> 00:21:01,040 Speaker 7: General's Office failed to do was provide text message between 319 00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 7: certain Jane Does and Nason. 320 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:08,720 Speaker 1: The term for this is a Brady violation, and it's 321 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:11,040 Speaker 1: a big problem. 322 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:14,120 Speaker 7: That creates a mistrial or an opportunity for a mistrial. 323 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 1: So even if the case went to trial and the 324 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:20,960 Speaker 1: prosecution won, Nason's lawyers could have appealed and contested the 325 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:23,639 Speaker 1: trial and all would have been for nothing. 326 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:31,080 Speaker 7: Even if they won the case, Nason's attorney would appropriately 327 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:34,879 Speaker 7: file an appeal and say, listen, they won because they 328 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:37,719 Speaker 7: didn't give us evidence when they were supposed to, and 329 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:40,679 Speaker 7: because they didn't, we didn't have a fair chance. And 330 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:43,000 Speaker 7: then that throws out the whole entire case. 331 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:53,080 Speaker 1: On March fifteen, twenty twenty two, Nason's attorney filed a 332 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:55,879 Speaker 1: two hundred and eleven page motion to dismiss the case, 333 00:21:55,960 --> 00:22:00,280 Speaker 1: based mainly, but not exclusively, on the Brady violation. The 334 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:05,520 Speaker 1: motion also alleged suppression of evidence, fabrication of evidence, unreliable witnesses, 335 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:10,359 Speaker 1: and witness coercion. In the end, Judge Stiffen Marcus did 336 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 1: not throw out the case, but he did order the 337 00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:19,200 Speaker 1: DA to turn everything over asap. The evidence not being 338 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:21,800 Speaker 1: fully shared by the prosecution had been an issue since 339 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:25,480 Speaker 1: the court proceedings first started. We reached out to the 340 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:29,480 Speaker 1: District Attorney's office for the series. They declined to grant 341 00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:32,960 Speaker 1: us an interview and directed us towards their press statements instead, 342 00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:36,679 Speaker 1: but those did not address that alone explained why there 343 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:39,400 Speaker 1: were so many missteps on their part when it came 344 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:43,800 Speaker 1: to hunting over the evidence. At first, the DA alleged 345 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:46,600 Speaker 1: it was because of the pornographic and sensitive nature of 346 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 1: the material, but this time, under pressure from the court, 347 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:53,160 Speaker 1: they had to admit it was at least partially because 348 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:56,560 Speaker 1: they had only employed a single agent to sort through 349 00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:59,840 Speaker 1: the mountains of material. To top it off, that a 350 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:04,680 Speaker 1: neither a translator to understand Spanish. Some of what the 351 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:08,080 Speaker 1: DA had access to anason stem did not, or text 352 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:12,359 Speaker 1: messages from four of the Jane Doe's phones. Among the 353 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:15,600 Speaker 1: items that prosecutors fail to disclose where some of those 354 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 1: tender love letters we have seen other victims write to 355 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:22,639 Speaker 1: their apostle and abuser. If you have followed this series 356 00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:25,679 Speaker 1: since episode one, you know victims of high control groups 357 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:29,159 Speaker 1: need extensive coping and survival mechanisms to be able to 358 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:33,040 Speaker 1: live through their ordeals, and appeasement is one of the 359 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:37,560 Speaker 1: most common. But once in possession of those text messages, 360 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 1: the defense argued that some of the relationships may very 361 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:44,919 Speaker 1: well have been consensual, and to the unsuspecting public and 362 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:48,200 Speaker 1: surely to some untrained people in the courtroom, the argument 363 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:51,080 Speaker 1: would have stuck unless presented with better. 364 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:56,440 Speaker 5: Context, because if it's consensual rather than a rate, then 365 00:23:56,600 --> 00:23:57,600 Speaker 5: the set and scene. 366 00:23:57,600 --> 00:24:01,760 Speaker 9: As less as two of the Jane Does were adults 367 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:05,000 Speaker 9: when they were violated, the DA would have to work 368 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:08,680 Speaker 9: way harder to establish the absence of consent when there 369 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:11,840 Speaker 9: were loving text messages between the victims and the accused. 370 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:17,560 Speaker 7: I don't think anyone listened to these victims. I don't 371 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:21,919 Speaker 7: think the time was taken to actually hear their stories 372 00:24:22,280 --> 00:24:24,119 Speaker 7: and understand Elis del Mundo. 373 00:24:25,920 --> 00:24:28,959 Speaker 1: The counts related to Jane Does four and five, the 374 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:32,320 Speaker 1: most brutal ones, the ones that would carry a life sentence, 375 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:33,400 Speaker 1: were thrown out. 376 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:38,800 Speaker 7: It's very easy to say these two women, these two girls, 377 00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:44,480 Speaker 7: consented and not put in the time and effort to 378 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:46,000 Speaker 7: understand that perspective. 379 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:50,200 Speaker 1: Nason could not wiggle out of the charges against him 380 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:53,440 Speaker 1: that related to underage victims, but he finally had the 381 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:56,159 Speaker 1: leverage he needed to avoid a trial where even more 382 00:24:56,240 --> 00:25:00,480 Speaker 1: damaging evidence would have become public. He risked losing everything. 383 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:05,440 Speaker 1: Morceau and Aleandro Campo, securing her own plea deal, began 384 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:07,720 Speaker 1: cooperating with the DA. 385 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:12,359 Speaker 5: First of all, he's looking at lice in prison. He 386 00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:15,040 Speaker 5: had one of his co defendants was going to testify 387 00:25:15,119 --> 00:25:18,800 Speaker 5: against him. Then there's the factor of what is the 388 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:23,040 Speaker 5: church membership can see. 389 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:27,240 Speaker 1: Twenty eight new stations were approved to cover the case 390 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:29,960 Speaker 1: from inside the courtroom. The judge had ruled against the 391 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:32,920 Speaker 1: showing of child pornography in court, but he had approved 392 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:36,679 Speaker 1: the explicit videos of Nason and Susanna Wahaka, like the 393 00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:39,440 Speaker 1: one Nelly described earlier, to be shown to the jury. 394 00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:44,680 Speaker 5: Nathan knew that that was going to be shown in 395 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:48,600 Speaker 5: news coverage and his followers were going to see that, 396 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:51,240 Speaker 5: and the church members were going to see that. 397 00:25:52,480 --> 00:25:54,879 Speaker 1: Nason didn't want to trial for the same reasons the 398 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:59,200 Speaker 1: Jane does desperately did. They wanted the videos, the evidence gathered, 399 00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:01,160 Speaker 1: the testimony is to be seen. 400 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:03,760 Speaker 10: They want to shut down the church. 401 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:07,800 Speaker 7: They want to make sure that as much focus and 402 00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:13,240 Speaker 7: attention comes to this because this church, this cult was 403 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:16,000 Speaker 7: able to thrive in secrecy. 404 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:21,720 Speaker 1: The trial was supposed to start on Monday thirteenth, but 405 00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:25,760 Speaker 1: on Friday the third, the Jane Doe's got a call. 406 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:29,359 Speaker 7: This something that should have taken three months six months 407 00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:32,120 Speaker 7: max was now taking a year and a half and 408 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:35,560 Speaker 7: they have been waiting and dying for their day in court. 409 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:40,359 Speaker 7: And then that Friday they get a calm. They're told 410 00:26:41,359 --> 00:26:44,760 Speaker 7: that a plea deal was reached. After being told consistently 411 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:46,880 Speaker 7: and continuously for the last year and a half that 412 00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:47,919 Speaker 7: that would never happen. 413 00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:52,080 Speaker 1: Now Sun accepted the plea deal. He would be sentenced 414 00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:57,159 Speaker 1: Wednesday eighth, and there will be no trial. It was 415 00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:03,480 Speaker 1: all over. Even though a g Jaberbresseerra had promised that 416 00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:06,640 Speaker 1: jene Does no cleadeal would take place, the new ag 417 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:10,960 Speaker 1: Robonta hadn't made any promises. It is likely he wasn't 418 00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:13,679 Speaker 1: willing to lose such an important case so early in 419 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:18,480 Speaker 1: his tenure. The jene Does were devastated, and they made 420 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:21,240 Speaker 1: sure to let the Attorney Generalsfice know how they felt. 421 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:23,320 Speaker 1: On a soon sentencing. 422 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:31,199 Speaker 10: Day, the jury box was filled with people from the 423 00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:34,200 Speaker 10: news media and so it actually did kind of look 424 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:36,880 Speaker 10: like a trial the fence table was filled. 425 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:40,280 Speaker 7: The attorneys for Nason were at the table, The Attorney 426 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:42,919 Speaker 7: General's office and the prosecutors were at their table. 427 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:43,840 Speaker 10: The judge was there. 428 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:45,960 Speaker 7: It looked like a trial, and it looked like these 429 00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:48,200 Speaker 7: girls were actually testifying. 430 00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:57,200 Speaker 11: You made our parents train us from birth to love 431 00:27:57,280 --> 00:28:03,440 Speaker 11: you above all things. You will then continue to abuse 432 00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:06,160 Speaker 11: young girls again, because the fanatics will bring you their 433 00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:07,120 Speaker 11: own children. 434 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:14,360 Speaker 12: I was a child, and he the filed my body 435 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:20,199 Speaker 12: and my innocence. I had to serve his food, I 436 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:21,120 Speaker 12: had to scrib his. 437 00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:25,040 Speaker 13: Toilet, I had to dress him in the morning and 438 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:29,800 Speaker 13: missage just me at night. I was commanded to wake 439 00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:31,480 Speaker 13: him up every. 440 00:28:31,280 --> 00:28:38,480 Speaker 11: Morning with a sex act. You actually pray and harm 441 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:45,200 Speaker 11: the people that love you the most to make me 442 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:46,120 Speaker 11: this property. 443 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:48,760 Speaker 13: Those were his words. 444 00:28:50,320 --> 00:28:54,360 Speaker 14: And I was his property, and then you can do 445 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:55,880 Speaker 14: whatever it pleased with me. 446 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:03,560 Speaker 7: It was gut wrenching. They were sobbing the entire time. 447 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:07,680 Speaker 7: The people in the audience were sobbing. The family members, 448 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:13,520 Speaker 7: some of the media were crying as well and getting emotional, and. 449 00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:14,880 Speaker 10: You could tell. 450 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:20,040 Speaker 7: That they were so profoundly affected by what the girls 451 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:20,520 Speaker 7: were saying. 452 00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:24,480 Speaker 1: They tried to make their case as hard as they 453 00:29:24,520 --> 00:29:27,760 Speaker 1: could to keep their abuse her locktop as many years 454 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:28,480 Speaker 1: as possible. 455 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:35,760 Speaker 11: Please your honor, with the first authority in your life 456 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:41,240 Speaker 11: that will stand against this predator, give him before extra 457 00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:45,360 Speaker 11: years and steps its loves. Give him the gift of 458 00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:49,680 Speaker 11: four more years to reflect on his actions. Give us 459 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:54,280 Speaker 11: four more years of peace. Gimla loose del bundle children, 460 00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:56,000 Speaker 11: four more years of safety. 461 00:29:57,640 --> 00:30:00,560 Speaker 1: Judge Cohen praise the Jane does on their bravery and 462 00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:04,200 Speaker 1: condemned the families that had abandoned them, But he still 463 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:06,160 Speaker 1: didn't mutch the. 464 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:10,160 Speaker 14: Lives are ruined and the guise of serving a supreme 465 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:19,680 Speaker 14: being as the Jane does. At this point I apologize. 466 00:30:19,760 --> 00:30:24,960 Speaker 14: My hands are tied. Lawyers do what lawyers do, and 467 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:26,240 Speaker 14: at this point my hands are tied. 468 00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:37,920 Speaker 1: On Unjune the third, when the pledeal was being drawn 469 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:40,800 Speaker 1: up behind the Chaine Doos bags, the judge asked Nason 470 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:42,560 Speaker 1: if he was willing to give up his right to 471 00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:46,240 Speaker 1: a her trial before a jury of peers. He asked 472 00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:49,240 Speaker 1: if Nason understood he would need to surrender a DNA 473 00:30:49,320 --> 00:30:52,160 Speaker 1: sample and register as a sex offender with every police 474 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:56,040 Speaker 1: station wherever he resided for the rest of his life. 475 00:30:57,080 --> 00:30:59,400 Speaker 1: He asked Nason if he was pleading on their duress, 476 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:02,440 Speaker 1: or because he was being promised anything, or if he 477 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:05,040 Speaker 1: was doing it voluntarily out of his own free will. 478 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:07,920 Speaker 1: He asked him if he was willing to waive his 479 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:13,000 Speaker 1: right to any future appeal. To all those questions, Nason 480 00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:17,920 Speaker 1: qua quing Garcia answered with a court yes. In the end, 481 00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:20,720 Speaker 1: the Apostle of God accepted his guilt on two counts 482 00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:24,760 Speaker 1: of forcible oral copulation involving minors and one count of 483 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:28,600 Speaker 1: a lewd act upon a child, despite the documented evidence 484 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:31,959 Speaker 1: and witness statements. In the end, the twenty six counts 485 00:31:31,960 --> 00:31:34,560 Speaker 1: had been reduced to just three. 486 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:38,040 Speaker 14: Solomon must be one third the mid term. The mid 487 00:31:38,120 --> 00:31:40,640 Speaker 14: term is two years. One third there of is eight 488 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:44,840 Speaker 14: months offended. Is not ordered to appear as he has 489 00:31:44,960 --> 00:31:47,320 Speaker 14: waived his right. We are done. 490 00:31:48,760 --> 00:31:52,680 Speaker 1: Sixteen years and eight months in total, two of which 491 00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:57,200 Speaker 1: had already been served a guilty sentence, yet no trial. 492 00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:00,640 Speaker 1: It was a loss the church would immediately spin into 493 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:14,480 Speaker 1: a win. More on that when we return. Even with 494 00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:17,960 Speaker 1: Naton behind bars, the Church continues to preach his innocence. 495 00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:21,320 Speaker 1: The absence of a trial was explained as the victims 496 00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:25,360 Speaker 1: lacking any real evidence and the lenient sentence meant Nason 497 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:28,920 Speaker 1: was pure. He had taken the plea deal only because 498 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:31,280 Speaker 1: he was framed and could not get a fair trial. 499 00:32:32,280 --> 00:32:35,000 Speaker 1: The church said he pled guilty as a sacrifice in 500 00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:38,440 Speaker 1: order to and I quote spare the church and his 501 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:39,760 Speaker 1: family more suffering. 502 00:32:41,080 --> 00:32:43,280 Speaker 7: It was the very night he took the plea deal 503 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:46,880 Speaker 7: one of the leaders of the church sat in the 504 00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:50,360 Speaker 7: church and told everyone that this was a lie, and 505 00:32:50,600 --> 00:32:56,280 Speaker 7: Naston was a murder and he was being you know, sacrificed, 506 00:32:56,040 --> 00:33:01,360 Speaker 7: and he was forced to go and can tend against evil, 507 00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:05,080 Speaker 7: and totally switched the narrative to make him seem like 508 00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:09,440 Speaker 7: this innocent, you know, victim. 509 00:33:10,360 --> 00:33:12,800 Speaker 1: Joey has worked her share of abuse cases like le 510 00:33:12,880 --> 00:33:17,440 Speaker 1: luzel Mundos, often probono, and is not exactly surprised that 511 00:33:17,520 --> 00:33:20,680 Speaker 1: the law doesn't always bend towards justice. 512 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:25,120 Speaker 7: I have seen it time and time again, a white 513 00:33:25,800 --> 00:33:32,080 Speaker 7: American client gets more money for the same abuse than 514 00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:37,200 Speaker 7: a Hispanic or a black client, or any other kind 515 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:41,360 Speaker 7: of minority. And so these were all Latina women, and 516 00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:44,920 Speaker 7: I think that it was very easy to brush it 517 00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:45,640 Speaker 7: under the rug. 518 00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:51,920 Speaker 1: She compares Nasson's leaning sentence to that of nexiums Keith Ranieri. 519 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:57,040 Speaker 7: There is no way for me to reconcile the Naxium 520 00:33:57,160 --> 00:34:00,560 Speaker 7: leader getting one hundred and twenty years. And this is 521 00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:04,160 Speaker 7: not to take away a single thing from the victims 522 00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:09,239 Speaker 7: of Nexium, because my heart truly, truly goes out to them. 523 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:14,360 Speaker 7: But objectively, I mean, there was kidnapping here, there was 524 00:34:15,160 --> 00:34:18,400 Speaker 7: force bestiality, there was forsodomy, there. 525 00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:20,800 Speaker 8: Was brutal, brutal, brutal. 526 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:25,160 Speaker 7: Rape, and how do you reconcile him getting barely sixteen years. 527 00:34:26,719 --> 00:34:28,719 Speaker 1: But even though the Apostle of God did not get 528 00:34:28,719 --> 00:34:31,600 Speaker 1: what he deserved and the criminal case didn't go as 529 00:34:31,640 --> 00:34:34,600 Speaker 1: she and the victims had hoped, Joey thinks this civil 530 00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:37,319 Speaker 1: case she's currently leading will give some tiny bit of 531 00:34:37,360 --> 00:34:38,719 Speaker 1: relief to the genders. 532 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:46,600 Speaker 7: What these girls want, and what they have said universally 533 00:34:46,719 --> 00:34:51,839 Speaker 7: to everyone, is that they want to make sure that 534 00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:53,960 Speaker 7: this doesn't happen to anyone ever again. 535 00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:56,640 Speaker 10: That's all they want. 536 00:34:59,440 --> 00:35:01,120 Speaker 1: And they know the best way to do that is 537 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:03,960 Speaker 1: for them to not just be heard but believed. 538 00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:10,040 Speaker 7: What all cults do is create a system of just 539 00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:16,440 Speaker 7: things that allows the abuse to perpetuate. Once you have 540 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:19,920 Speaker 7: every person in the world telling you you're so lucky, 541 00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:24,800 Speaker 7: you're so blessed. Oh my goodness, this is the best 542 00:35:24,800 --> 00:35:27,080 Speaker 7: thing that could ever happen to you. This is your 543 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:30,920 Speaker 7: purpose in life, then you'll do anything. 544 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:34,439 Speaker 1: That's the way it calls operate, actually, and it makes 545 00:35:34,480 --> 00:35:36,640 Speaker 1: it uncomprehensible to the rest of the world. Why did 546 00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:39,920 Speaker 1: they bring the charges twenty years later? Because they have 547 00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:44,040 Speaker 1: to get rid of all the invisible constructions around their 548 00:35:44,040 --> 00:35:47,719 Speaker 1: heads and gain the strength that takes decades sometimes to 549 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:48,080 Speaker 1: do that. 550 00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:53,000 Speaker 7: You're believing in something that isn't there. It's this intangible 551 00:35:53,040 --> 00:35:57,719 Speaker 7: thing in the sky, and so you're almost required to 552 00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:01,839 Speaker 7: suspend logic and check laws at the door because you're 553 00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:05,720 Speaker 7: believing something that you don't see, and because you're buying 554 00:36:05,800 --> 00:36:11,160 Speaker 7: into that, there's this cognitive dissonance where you're able to 555 00:36:11,239 --> 00:36:12,240 Speaker 7: buy into anything. 556 00:36:12,960 --> 00:36:16,759 Speaker 1: It's exactly what you just described. Make people understand why 557 00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:19,000 Speaker 1: this happens the way it does and why these people 558 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:23,160 Speaker 1: subject themselves to this abuse is willingly, but it's not willingly. 559 00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:27,800 Speaker 7: And I always say, you guys didn't have a chance. 560 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:29,560 Speaker 8: You guys didn't stand a chance. 561 00:36:30,280 --> 00:36:34,880 Speaker 7: They didn't. The cult and all of the elements of 562 00:36:34,920 --> 00:36:44,280 Speaker 7: a cult creates a situation where it is able to really, really, 563 00:36:44,360 --> 00:36:46,440 Speaker 7: really do whatever it is that they want to do. 564 00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:50,440 Speaker 7: They exert the control. It's also formulated. It works on 565 00:36:50,520 --> 00:36:56,200 Speaker 7: basic human psychology, and I think that most people would really, 566 00:36:56,280 --> 00:36:59,360 Speaker 7: really really fall prey in the same way. 567 00:37:00,239 --> 00:37:03,360 Speaker 1: It's hard to believe how easy irrational. Let's say, normal 568 00:37:03,400 --> 00:37:06,440 Speaker 1: people can't fall pray to a cult, but every day 569 00:37:06,520 --> 00:37:09,360 Speaker 1: high control groups ensnare and bend their victims to their will, 570 00:37:09,760 --> 00:37:13,719 Speaker 1: obliterating all their logic and reason, sometimes for years to come. 571 00:37:14,840 --> 00:37:18,040 Speaker 1: And it doesn't matter how smart or how educated you are. 572 00:37:18,520 --> 00:37:20,839 Speaker 1: It can happen to any of us, or to those 573 00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:24,040 Speaker 1: closest to us. I know this because I grew up 574 00:37:24,040 --> 00:37:26,280 Speaker 1: in a high control group and so how it affected 575 00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:30,000 Speaker 1: myself and my family. If you're an a occult or 576 00:37:30,040 --> 00:37:33,520 Speaker 1: witnessing a friend or family members who come to occult powers, 577 00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:36,279 Speaker 1: it can be hard to know what to do, how 578 00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:39,000 Speaker 1: to help someone who's going through it, or how to 579 00:37:39,040 --> 00:37:43,279 Speaker 1: get out yourself. But it's not impossible. 580 00:37:44,640 --> 00:37:47,800 Speaker 6: When you get out of a cult. It's like going 581 00:37:47,840 --> 00:37:50,880 Speaker 6: through a divorce because you go through all of the 582 00:37:50,960 --> 00:37:54,520 Speaker 6: same emotions. You go through, the disbelief, you go through, 583 00:37:54,520 --> 00:37:57,600 Speaker 6: the anger, you go through Oh my god, it can't 584 00:37:57,600 --> 00:38:01,040 Speaker 6: be true. And it's every single motion that you go 585 00:38:01,760 --> 00:38:04,960 Speaker 6: through when you're having a breakup, you go through when 586 00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:08,960 Speaker 6: you're separating from a cult. It's your life, it's your identity, 587 00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:12,480 Speaker 6: it's your whole like your whole being. 588 00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:21,160 Speaker 1: That's next on the final episode of Sacred Scandal Season two. 589 00:38:23,320 --> 00:38:26,440 Speaker 1: Sacred Scandala uzel Mundo is a production of Exile Content 590 00:38:26,520 --> 00:38:30,719 Speaker 1: Studio in partnership with Iheartsmichael Tura podcast Network, and is 591 00:38:30,760 --> 00:38:35,040 Speaker 1: hosted by Me Robert Tagarza, produced by Sabin Janssen with 592 00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:38,320 Speaker 1: the help of Stella, Emmett, Reynolds, Gutierres and Anna Saved 593 00:38:38,320 --> 00:38:42,759 Speaker 1: Octavio written by myself and Viter, also research by Robert 594 00:38:42,800 --> 00:38:47,040 Speaker 1: Tagarza with help from Reynolds Gutierrez. Additional reporting by Florence 595 00:38:47,040 --> 00:38:50,759 Speaker 1: second stylist Ga Ga Garcia. Engineering by Uga Mendoza and 596 00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:55,759 Speaker 1: Sabin Johnsen. Sound designed by patrickin Arnis. Original music by 597 00:38:55,760 --> 00:38:59,920 Speaker 1: Patrick Hart, edited by writer Alsop and Marivel Kezara Smith. 598 00:39:00,800 --> 00:39:04,719 Speaker 1: Executive producers are Rose Reed, Carmen gratterol Isaac Lee and 599 00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:10,319 Speaker 1: Andovilla then Alboutista Overseas Audio at Exil Content Studio. Our 600 00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:14,280 Speaker 1: executive producers at iHeart, ar Gisel Bancez and Arlene Santana. 601 00:39:15,200 --> 00:39:18,400 Speaker 1: Sacred Scandal was created by Melanie Bartley and Paula Varus 602 00:39:19,200 --> 00:39:23,319 Speaker 1: Special thanks to Monk Music Studios. For more podcasts, go 603 00:39:23,440 --> 00:39:25,799 Speaker 1: to the iHeartRadio app or anywhere you listen to your 604 00:39:25,840 --> 00:39:39,319 Speaker 1: favorite podcasts.