Kids Interviewed After Evangelical HQ Raid

Allegations Of Child Porn At Ark. Ministry Where Puberty Said To Mark Age Of Consent

(CBS/AP)  State and federal authorities are investigating the possible sexual abuse of minors at a 15-acre evangelical compound run by a convicted tax evader whom critics describe as a cult leader.

The Tony Alamo Christian Ministries complex in southwestern Arkansas was raided Saturday by more than 100 federal and state police, and six children have been placed in temporary state custody and are being interviewed.

No one was arrested, but U.S. Attorney Bob Balfe said prior to the raid that he expects a warrant to be issued for Alamo, 74, who has a long history of tangling with law enforcement.

State police spokesman Bill Sadler said that if the children in state care need to be held long-term, the matter would have to go before a judge.

The raid, the culmination of a two-year investigation into child-abuse and pornography allegations, was moved up on the calendar after an e-mail about plans for an October raid was inadvertently sent to media late last week.

After almost a hundred federal and state agents raided the compound serving search warrants on Saturday, residents in the small Miller County town of 800 expressed relief that action was being taken.

"I'm on the edge of tears, of joy, frustration," one neighbor told CBS affiliate KYHV. "I am so thankful. I praise God that this has happened," another said.

After entering the compound Saturday, authorities expressed concern about the safety of those inside.

"That's our main goal, of course," said the FBI's Tom Browne. "We had primary sites we were interested in; beyond that we're trying to make sure all kids are safe on the whole facility."

On Sunday, members of Alamo's church (who asked to remain anonymous) talked to KTHV, calling the raid malicious and illegal, and criticized what they called false allegations of child pornography.

"If anything, they scared the kids coming in here with their guns," said one member.

"Our children are better taken care of and provided for than any children I've ever seen," said another.


Alamo Charges The Government With Harrassment

Alamo told The Associated Press in an interview Saturday that no child pornography was generated at the ministry but that age of consent is puberty when it comes to sex. Alamo, who said he was in the Los Angeles area, said the government is trying to harass him.

Alamo was convicted of tax-related charges in 1994 after the Internal Revenue Service said he owed the government $7.9 million. He served four years in prison. Prosecutors in the tax case argued before sentencing that Alamo was a flight risk and a polygamist who preyed on married women and girls in his congregation.

In 1991, Alamo and his followers disappeared when U.S. marshals stormed his complex near Alma in western Arkansas - taking with them the remains of Alamo's late wife Susan, who had died in 1982 and from whom Alamo anticipated a resurrection. As a condition of his release from his four-year sentence from the tax convictions, Alamo had to turn over his wife's corpse to her family.

A number of people who claimed to have past ties with the Alamo group appeared outside the compound as law officers searched the grounds.

Anthony Justin Lane, 34 (left, with his current wife Lynne), said he'd been kicked out for asking too many questions and hoped he could get his three children back. He said they remained with the group and his former girlfriend after he was expelled.

"I see pictures of those kids and I feel robbed - robbed of being a father," Lane told reporters.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors the activities of extremist groups in the U.S., describes Alamo's ministry as a cult that opposes homosexuality, Roman Catholicism and the government.

During the raid, Fouke Mayor Terry Purvis said he was concerned about the reputation of the town of 800 residents, saying he didn't want the community to be associated with Alamo. But he said four members of Alamo's organization are running for city council on the fall ballot.

On Sunday, services were held at the compound but outsiders weren't allowed to attend. A van ferried members from the Alamo compound to the church facility.

[cheetah-man7]

Another strike against the Republicans! About time these rednecks get caught being the Satanists that they are - all in the name of Christ too. Sad! God must be very sad and very angry at what people do in His name!

[carlylaine]

SHUT THE ''F'' UP, babooph

[klingon69]

Fouke, Ar is full of problems. Many years ago there was a sign posted at the city limits. This sign said,"*** DON''T LET THE SUN SET ON YOU HERE." Then they had the Fouke Monster (Legend of Boggy Creek). A few years ago, an interracial couple moved in. Death threats against the landlord for renting to them. Cross burnings, in one guys field next to a black family''s house. Had a black man hired to cut down the "hanging tree" in a show of irony. Still has a large KKK base there. Many other things and this.
Tony Alamo has been a serious thorn in the side of this area. His followers paper the cars at mall and shopping centers with his drivel. He has created a police state inside of his compound. I say good riddance to him and his group.

[babooph]

Those cops just do not understand the "family values" guys.

[slim1h2o]

AND KINGS UNTIL THE SWORD DRAWN FINDS ITS TARGET.


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Posted by tootall10142 at 05:32 AM : Sep 23, 2008


Talk about incoherant rantings and ravings.......


LOL,,,Too much,,,LOL

[babooph]

Just the ones Bush dreamed of giving US tax dollars to -to aid our needy-they seemed to know what the needy needed.

[tootall10142]

BIRBLKBLSS POSTED 944PM SEPT.22-YOU MY FRIEND YOU ARE FIEN OF NATURAL SELECTION.THE RAVINGS OF A MAD MAN ARE INCOHERENT COMPARED TO THE CELESTIAL BOUNDARIES OF YOURE STATEMENT.WE MUST PARTY AND DRINK TIL THE VISIONS BLISS HAVE SEQUINED OUR MINDS.WE MUST DANCE THE DANCE OF RULERS AND KINGS UNTIL THE SWORD DRAWN FINDS ITS TARGET.

[oneworldusa]

Age of consent is puberty? What about the age of marriage? Puberty for girls can be at 9 or 10 years old. A church cannot override state law and just arbitrarily set its own age of consent to anything. Seems all these ''compounds'' tend to have a very similar story. Control of a population based on one person''s desire for pedophelia. Sick.

[mytoosense]

Hey Sky-
Thanks for the education advice. Other than that, you are just plain wrong. Did I not advocate the separation of church and state? Did I not express that the state has a right to protect the individual ( the children in this case) regardless of claims to religious freedom by these alleged child abusers? Do you not see that government oversight of religious practice is exactly what the first amendment is designed to protect ALL Americans of ALL beliefs or non beliefs from? Do not let your hate cloud your thinking. Posted by roytherobot

As the author of "Perhaps if we had Government Oversight of all churches, this wont happen again."
I agree with you, churches should have the ability to worship without government control. My point is with churches enjoying less public inspection than any other institution, a very small, but eventually famous, minority of nut jobs will continue to use the institution as a favorite method for establishing a tax free, scutiny free, constitutionally protected haven for their immoral practices (once again, David Koresh, Warren Jeffs, Jim Jones, Pedophile Catholic Priests) and when they do, the country will still refer to them as a church gone bad, like it or not.

[mjm117]

I once heard that Palin was a financial contributor to these guys