34 ICSA TODAY 32
‘Prophet’ convicted of two sex offenses claims God told him
to start ministry
Walter Masocha, a Zimbabwean-born preacher, claims the Lord
spoke to him through a “cloud” that appeared at the Balcomie
Links Hotel in Scotland. Masocha described his vision of God
at the hotel in an “exclusive interview” for a DVD produced by
his church, Agape Ministries, which took in more than 3.3
million pounds sterling during the past 4 years. In April of 2015,
Masocha was convicted of several sex offenses, which took
place between January 2012 and January 2014. The convictions
included “sexually assaulting a 32-year-old deaconess of the
church” and “kissing and caressing a 14-year-old girl at the
church’s base.” Two other charges involving sexual behavior
toward minors did not result in guilty verdicts. (Nehanda Radio,
4/29/15)
Supreme Court rejects plea for retrial of Aum founder
Asahara
The Supreme Court of Japan has finalized the decision not
to grant Shoko Asahara, cult founder of Aum Shinrikyo, a
retrial. Asahara, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, is on
death row for masterminding the 1995 sarin gas attack on the
Tokyo subway system, among other charges. (The Japan Times,
3/12/15)
Brazil arrests US cult leader Victor Arden Barnard, wanted
on child-sex charges
Victor Barnard, a self-professed minister, was captured on
February 27 in an apartment in northeastern Brazil. Barnard
allegedly molested two girls in a “Maidens Group” at his
fellowship in Minnesota. Barnard was being held in the city
of Natal to await extradition to face charges in the United
States. He was charged with 59 counts of criminal sexual
conduct during his time as leader of River Road Fellowship near
Finlayson, Minnesota.
Prosecutors in Minnesota called Barnard a master manipulator
for convincing members of the church to let their daughters
move out of their homes and fulfill Barnard’s preaching by
having sex with him. Two girls, who are now adults but were 12
and 13 at the time, said they were assaulted by Barnard. They
told authorities that Barnard preached that he was Christ in the
flesh, and that sex with him was okay because it was “in God’s
word.”
Barnard left the church and moved to Washington sometime
in 2012 when the fellowship of the church broke up over
allegations that Barnard was having affairs with married
women. (NBC News, The Associated Press, 2/28/15)
Guru denies raping six women from his “hot yoga” classes
Bikram Choudhury, the popular guru who runs Bikram School,
has denied rape allegations against him. In his first interview
since the rape allegations were made in 2013, Mr. Choudhury
told CNN, “I never assaulted them.” He appeared to imply that
he did not need to assault women because he had so many
offers of sex. “Women like me. Women love me,” he said. “So if I
really wanted to involve the women, I don’t have to assault the
women.” Mr. Choudhury insisted that he had not assaulted any
of the six women nor had consensual sex with them. He said he
believed they had been told by someone else to make up the
allegations. (The New Indian Express, The Daily Telegraph, 4/3/15)
Bikram Choudhury, yoga guru, sued by instructor for
alleged sexual assault
Jill Lawler of Vancouver is the sixth woman who has filed
a lawsuit against yoga millionaire Bikram Choudhury for
allegedly sexually assaulting her during an instructor-training
course in Las Vegas in 2010. The civil lawsuit she filed says she
was 18 when she began training with, and then working for,
Choudhury’s yoga business. Lawler says she paid $10,000 in
2010 to attend a 9-week intensive yoga instructor-training
course, despite the fact that she did not meet the course’s age
requirement of 21. The lawsuit alleges that
• Lawler began massaging Choudhury’s feet and he
sexually assaulted her.
• “One night about a week later Choudhury insisted that Jill
accompany him to his hotel room … where in addition to
raping her, Choudury demanded she say disgusting and
untrue things…“
• Choudhury assaulted Lawler again during his training
session and on other occasions over the coming years
while she was working at his studios.
Lawler was afraid to say anything to authorities because she
was afraid he would prevent her from working at the Vancouver
studios and make it impossible for her to make a living.
Choudhury also told her that he knew people with power, such
as police.
Lawler alleges that, once she learned of another woman who
had filed a lawsuit against Choudhury, he became worried
and tried to bribe her to keep quiet. The allegations have not
been proven in court, and Choudhury has not filed a response
to the lawsuit. Lawler’s lawyer Mary Shea Hagebols is also
representing five other women who filed lawsuits in 2013 and
2014 against Choudhury for alleged sexual harassment and
sexual assault.
News Desk
‘Prophet’ convicted of two sex offenses claims God told him
to start ministry
Walter Masocha, a Zimbabwean-born preacher, claims the Lord
spoke to him through a “cloud” that appeared at the Balcomie
Links Hotel in Scotland. Masocha described his vision of God
at the hotel in an “exclusive interview” for a DVD produced by
his church, Agape Ministries, which took in more than 3.3
million pounds sterling during the past 4 years. In April of 2015,
Masocha was convicted of several sex offenses, which took
place between January 2012 and January 2014. The convictions
included “sexually assaulting a 32-year-old deaconess of the
church” and “kissing and caressing a 14-year-old girl at the
church’s base.” Two other charges involving sexual behavior
toward minors did not result in guilty verdicts. (Nehanda Radio,
4/29/15)
Supreme Court rejects plea for retrial of Aum founder
Asahara
The Supreme Court of Japan has finalized the decision not
to grant Shoko Asahara, cult founder of Aum Shinrikyo, a
retrial. Asahara, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, is on
death row for masterminding the 1995 sarin gas attack on the
Tokyo subway system, among other charges. (The Japan Times,
3/12/15)
Brazil arrests US cult leader Victor Arden Barnard, wanted
on child-sex charges
Victor Barnard, a self-professed minister, was captured on
February 27 in an apartment in northeastern Brazil. Barnard
allegedly molested two girls in a “Maidens Group” at his
fellowship in Minnesota. Barnard was being held in the city
of Natal to await extradition to face charges in the United
States. He was charged with 59 counts of criminal sexual
conduct during his time as leader of River Road Fellowship near
Finlayson, Minnesota.
Prosecutors in Minnesota called Barnard a master manipulator
for convincing members of the church to let their daughters
move out of their homes and fulfill Barnard’s preaching by
having sex with him. Two girls, who are now adults but were 12
and 13 at the time, said they were assaulted by Barnard. They
told authorities that Barnard preached that he was Christ in the
flesh, and that sex with him was okay because it was “in God’s
word.”
Barnard left the church and moved to Washington sometime
in 2012 when the fellowship of the church broke up over
allegations that Barnard was having affairs with married
women. (NBC News, The Associated Press, 2/28/15)
Guru denies raping six women from his “hot yoga” classes
Bikram Choudhury, the popular guru who runs Bikram School,
has denied rape allegations against him. In his first interview
since the rape allegations were made in 2013, Mr. Choudhury
told CNN, “I never assaulted them.” He appeared to imply that
he did not need to assault women because he had so many
offers of sex. “Women like me. Women love me,” he said. “So if I
really wanted to involve the women, I don’t have to assault the
women.” Mr. Choudhury insisted that he had not assaulted any
of the six women nor had consensual sex with them. He said he
believed they had been told by someone else to make up the
allegations. (The New Indian Express, The Daily Telegraph, 4/3/15)
Bikram Choudhury, yoga guru, sued by instructor for
alleged sexual assault
Jill Lawler of Vancouver is the sixth woman who has filed
a lawsuit against yoga millionaire Bikram Choudhury for
allegedly sexually assaulting her during an instructor-training
course in Las Vegas in 2010. The civil lawsuit she filed says she
was 18 when she began training with, and then working for,
Choudhury’s yoga business. Lawler says she paid $10,000 in
2010 to attend a 9-week intensive yoga instructor-training
course, despite the fact that she did not meet the course’s age
requirement of 21. The lawsuit alleges that
• Lawler began massaging Choudhury’s feet and he
sexually assaulted her.
• “One night about a week later Choudhury insisted that Jill
accompany him to his hotel room … where in addition to
raping her, Choudury demanded she say disgusting and
untrue things…“
• Choudhury assaulted Lawler again during his training
session and on other occasions over the coming years
while she was working at his studios.
Lawler was afraid to say anything to authorities because she
was afraid he would prevent her from working at the Vancouver
studios and make it impossible for her to make a living.
Choudhury also told her that he knew people with power, such
as police.
Lawler alleges that, once she learned of another woman who
had filed a lawsuit against Choudhury, he became worried
and tried to bribe her to keep quiet. The allegations have not
been proven in court, and Choudhury has not filed a response
to the lawsuit. Lawler’s lawyer Mary Shea Hagebols is also
representing five other women who filed lawsuits in 2013 and
2014 against Choudhury for alleged sexual harassment and
sexual assault.
News Desk
