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{{Short description|Mexican religious leader and convicted child sex offender}}
{{Expand Spanish|topic=bio|Naasón Merarí Joaquín García,|date=March 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = NAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|05|07|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Guadalajara]], [[Jalisco]], [[Mexico]]
| parents = [[Samuel Joaquín Flores]]<br/>Eva García López
| office = [[La Luz del Mundo|International Director of the La Luz del Mundo Church]]
| term_start = 14 December 2014
| predecessor = [[Samuel Joaquin Flores|Samuel Joaquín Flores]]
| spouse = Alma Zamora
|module={{Infobox criminal
|child=yes
| name =
| image =
| charge = '''State charges''':
* Lewd act upon a child
* Conspiracy to human traffic by procuring a child to engage in lewd acts
* Forcible rape of a minor
* Unlawful sexual intercourse
* Forcible oral copulation ×4
* Oral copulation of a person under 18 ×2
* Forcible oral copulation of a person under 18
* Human trafficking for production of child pornography
* Forcible rape ×5
* Extortion ×4
* Possession of child pornography
<br/>'''Federal charges''':
* Racketeering conspiracy
* Sex trafficking conspiracy
* Sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion
* Inducement to travel to engage in unlawful sexual activity
* Conspiracy to sexually exploit children
* Child exploitation enterprise
| conviction = Oral copulation with a minor (2 counts)<br/>Lewd acts on a child (1 count)
| conviction_penalty = 16 years, 8 months
}}
}}
'''Naasón Merarí Joaquín García''' (born 7 May 1969) is a Mexican convicted [[Child sexual abuse|child sex offender]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Camhaji |first=Elías |date=2022-06-08 |title=Condenado a 16 años y ocho meses de cárcel el líder de La Luz del Mundo por abuso infantil |url=https://elpais.com/mexico/2022-06-08/condenado-a-16-anos-y-ocho-meses-de-carcel-el-lider-de-la-luz-del-mundo-por-abuso-infantil.html |access-date=2026-01-12 |website=El País México |language=es}}</ref> and religious leader who serves from prison as the third leader of the [[La Luz del Mundo]] church, succeeding his father, [[Samuel Joaquin Flores|Samuel Joaquín Flores]] following his death in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ejecentral |first=Redacción |date=2019-06-06 |title=El “apóstol” del poder |url=https://www.ejecentral.com.mx/el-apostol-del-poder |access-date=2026-01-12 |website=Eje Central |language=es}}</ref> In June 2022, he pled guilty in California to three charges related to sexually abusing children and was sentenced to 16 years 8 months.<ref>{{Cite web |last=EFE |first=Por |date=2022-06-08 |title=Condenan a Naasón Joaquín García a más de 16 años de prisión por abuso sexual a 3 menores |url=https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/mundo/2022/06/08/condenan-a-naason-joaquin-garcia-a-mas-de-16-anos-de-prision-por-abuso-sexual-a-3-menores/ |access-date=2026-01-12 |website=El Financiero |language=es}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Joaquín García was born on 7 May 1969 in the Mexican city of [[Guadalajara]], [[Jalisco]], the fifth of seven children to Samuel Joaquín Flores and Eva García.<ref name="CJ ascent">{{cite news |title=Es Naasón Joaquín García, nuevo líder de La Luz del Mundo |url=https://www.cronicajalisco.com/notas/2014/32559.html |accessdate=3 March 2020 |work=Crónica Jalisco |date=15 December 2014 |language=es |archive-date=2 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200302164942/https://www.cronicajalisco.com/notas/2014/32559.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Career ==
Before succeeding his father as head of La Luz del Mundo at 45,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ejecentral.com.mx/el-apostol-del-poder/|title=Naasón Merarí Joaquín García: El 'apóstol' del poder|date=2019-06-06|website=Eje Central|language=es|access-date=2020-02-24|archive-date=2020-04-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418204230/https://www.ejecentral.com.mx/el-apostol-del-poder/|url-status=live}}</ref> he was a minister for the group in [[Santa Ana, California]]; he had previously served as minister for other congregations in cities throughout California ([[Huntington Park, California|Huntington Park]], San Diego, [[East Los Angeles]], [[Santa Maria, California|Santa Maria]]) and Arizona.<ref name="CJ ascent" />

== Arrest and legal proceedings ==

On 3 June 2019, Joaquín García was arrested and charged by prosecutors from [[Los Angeles County, California|Los Angeles County]] with sexual abuse charges involving minors.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Garcia |first1=Blanca |title=La Luz del Mundo Church Leader Accused of Sex Crimes |url=https://www.independent.com/2019/06/09/la-luz-del-mundo-church-leader-accused-of-sex-crimes/ |accessdate=3 March 2020 |work=Santa Barbara Independent |date=9 June 2019 |archive-date=2 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200302162914/https://www.independent.com/2019/06/09/la-luz-del-mundo-church-leader-accused-of-sex-crimes/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Cosgrove |first1=Jaclyn |last2=Johnson |first2=Reed |last3=Miller |first3=Leila |title=Leader of La Luz Del Mundo religious group arrested on suspicion of rape, child porn |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-la-luz-del-mundo-charges-abuse-20190604-story.html |accessdate=3 March 2020 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=4 June 2019 |archive-date=11 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411172640/https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-la-luz-del-mundo-charges-abuse-20190604-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Leila |title=Sex abuse charges against La Luz del Mundo leader are the 'tip of the iceberg,' prosecutors say |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-luz-del-mundo-bail-201906-story.html |accessdate=3 March 2020 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=22 June 2019 |archive-date=11 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011101030/https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-luz-del-mundo-bail-201906-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Susana Medina Oaxaca and Alondra Ocampo were also charged. Joaquín García was held on $50 million bail, Ocampo on $25 million, and Oaxaca remained free on bail. A fourth defendant, Azalea Rangel Melendez, who was previously charged with rape, remained at large. In addition, a federal lawsuit against the church and Joaquín García alleging that he and his father regularly sexually abused a Southern California girl from the time she was twelve until she was eighteen was still pending {{As of|2020|07|lc=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Child rape charges refiled against Mexican megachurch leader |url=https://apnews.com/b980dca56ef04de3f6f07fbfe672fac6 |website=AP News |accessdate=4 August 2020 |date=31 July 2020 |archive-date=2 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802215615/https://apnews.com/b980dca56ef04de3f6f07fbfe672fac6 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Two days before his trial in June 2022, Joaquín Garcia pleaded guilty to three charges related to sexually abusing children.<ref name="La Luz del Mundo church leader pleads guilty to sex abuse charges">{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-06-03/as-sex-abuse-trial-starts-proceedings-could-pull-back-curtain-on-la-luz-del-mundo-church?_amp=true|title=La Luz del Mundo church leader pleads guilty to sex abuse charges|date=2022-06-03|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2022-06-04|issn=0458-3035|archive-date=2022-06-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220604020748/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-06-03/as-sex-abuse-trial-starts-proceedings-could-pull-back-curtain-on-la-luz-del-mundo-church?_amp=true|url-status=live}}</ref> On 8 June 2022, he was convicted and sentenced to 16 years and 8 months in prison.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/mexican-megachurch-leader-faces-16-years-prison-85260319 |title=Mexican megachurch leader gets more than 16 years for abuse |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220723215808/https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/mexican-megachurch-leader-faces-16-years-prison-85260319 |archive-date=23 July 2022 |website=ABC News |date=8 June 2022 }}</ref>

He was transferred to [[North Kern State Prison]] for evaluations to determine his placement within the prison system.<ref>{{Cite news|title=The Light of the World: Naasón Joaquín is changed from jail for this reason |url=https://www.paudal.com/2022/08/18/the-light-of-the-world-naason-joaquin-is-changed-from-jail-for-this-reason/|access-date=2023-06-16|archive-date=2022-08-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220826040244/https://www.paudal.com/2022/08/18/the-light-of-the-world-naason-joaquin-is-changed-from-jail-for-this-reason/}}</ref> He was to also undergo a civil trial on charges including [[human trafficking]] and [[forced labor]]; a [[RICO]] suit named him, the organization called Light of the World, his mother, his wife, his brother, and many of the leaders of the organization.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home Page |url=https://www.today90.com/ |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=Today90 |archive-date=2022-12-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221227034530/https://www.today90.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Federal criminal investigations were pending in both the United States and Mexico.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Albeck-Ripka |first=Livia |date=2022-06-09 |title=Leader of Mexican Church Is Sentenced to 16 Years for Sex Crimes |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/09/us/california-mexican-church-abuse.html |access-date=2022-12-27 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2022-08-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220826040243/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/09/us/california-mexican-church-abuse.html |url-status=live }}</ref> {{As of|2023|04}}, he is held in the [[California Institution for Men]] in [[Chino, California]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=CDCR Public Inmate Locator Disclaimer |url=https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/default.aspx |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov |archive-date=3 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003223909/https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/default.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In October 2023, Joaquín Garcia was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges relating to the production and possession of child pornography.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tran |first1=Emi Tuyetnhi |title=Head of megachurch, in prison for sex abuse, is charged with producing child pornography |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/garcia-megachurch-sex-abuse-child-pornography-charges-rcna122310 |access-date=28 October 2023 |publisher=NBC News |date=26 October 2023}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Joaquín Garcia is married to Alma Zamora; they have three children.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.milenio.com/policia/naason-joaquin-garcia-lider-luz-mundo-biografia|title=Naasón Joaquín García: quién es líder de La Luz del Mundo (biografía)|website=www.milenio.com|access-date=2020-02-24|archive-date=2020-04-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200413133606/https://www.milenio.com/policia/naason-joaquin-garcia-lider-luz-mundo-biografia|url-status=live|language=es}}</ref>

== References ==
<references />

{{DEFAULTSORT:Joaquin Garcia, Naason}}
[[Category:Mexican religious leaders]]
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American religious leaders]]
[[Category:Religious figures convicted of child sexual abuse]]
[[Category:People from Guadalajara, Jalisco]]
[[Category:Long stubs with short prose]]

{{Mexico-reli-bio-stub}}

Naasón Joaquín García - Revision history

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