LOS ANGELES — Holding her sons tight, Deborah Contreras shuddered with sobs as the women in a Los Angeles courtroom recounted years of sexual abuse inflicted by the man they once believed was an "apostle" of Jesus Christ.
She nodded as one of the women said there were countless other victims beyond those involved in the prosecution's case against Naason Joaquin Garcia, head of La Luz del Mundo to this day. Many have been afraid to speak out about alleged abuse by Garcia and others in the church hierarchy for fear of incurring their wrath.
Contreras would know; she's one of them, she said.
