They accuse the leader of a megachurch that is considered "the designated son of God" of sex trafficking of minors

The leader of a religious organization originally from the Philippines was accused of having sexual relations with underage women and girls who faced threats of abuse and "eternal damnation" unless they heeded the criminal demands of the self-proclaimed "son of God", according to federal prosecutors announced Thursday.

Apollo Carreón Quiboloy and two of his top administrators are among nine people named in the indictment filed by a federal grand jury last week and released Thursday.

The legal action includes three administrators from the Los Angeles-based Quiboloy church, who were already indicted last year.

And he also appoints the administrator of the religious organization in Hawaii.

Quiboloy, 71, leads the Kingdom of Jesus Christ Church, founded in 1985. The congregation claims 6 million members in about 200 countries.

Its headquarters in the United States is in the Van Nuys area of ​​Los Angeles.

Apollo Carreón Quiboloy redirected funds destined for a children's foundation for his personal benefit.AP file

The church supported the 2016 candidacy of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, a close friend of Quiboloy.

Duterte used the group's radio and television program in Davao to express his views when he was mayor of the port city.

Quiboloy claims to be “God's designated son” and in 2019

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The indictment includes a number of charges, such as conspiracy, child sex trafficking, forced sex trafficking, fraud and duress, marriage fraud, money laundering, cash smuggling and visa fraud.

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Quiboloy is believed to be in the Philippines, where his group said he and the other accused church leaders were ready to face legal challenges, though they did not respond to the charges in a statement posted on his group's news website, SMNI News Channel.

"We are confident and prepared to face whatever is launched against Pastor Quiboloy and the kingdom's leaders

,

said the statement, attributed to an unidentified church legal adviser and accusing the "dissidents" of presenting the charges to destroy Quiboloy.

"We are confident in the justice process and we certainly hope that the truth will prevail and that the kingdom ministry will continue to prosper," they added.

The Philippine Secretary of Justice, Menardo Guevarra, stated that Quiboloy does not face any complaint in his country related to the US accusations.

He said, without elaborating, that another rape complaint was filed against Quiboloy in Davao city last year, but was dismissed, although the decision was under appeal to the Department of Justice in Manila.

The particular complaint included charges of child abuse, human trafficking through forced labor and human trafficking through sexual abuse, Guevarra told reporters in Manila.

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The indictment points to Quiboloy and others recruiting women and girls, usually between the ages of 12 and 25, as "shepherds" who cooked his meals, cleaned their houses, gave him massages and traveled with him around the world.

Some also had sex with Quiboloy on scheduled "night watches," including some minors, such as a 15-year-old girl, according to the document.

They were forced to perform "night watches" under "the threat of physical and verbal abuse and eternal damnation," the indictment says.

Quiboloy and the others are also charged with bringing church members to the United States on fraudulently obtained student visas or sham marriages to solicit donations for the church's charity, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale.

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Workers who managed to escape from the church told the FBI that they worked year-round and were psychologically beaten and abused if they did not meet daily quotas, according to court documents from the earlier indictment.

Some described having to live in cars at truck stops.

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The money for the non-profit Children's Joy foundation was to benefit poor children in the Philippines.

But prosecutors said most of it financed the church's operations and the lavish lifestyle of Quiboloy and other leaders.

At least $ 20 million was sent to the church in the Philippines between 2014 and 2019, according to an FBI affidavit filed with the earlier indictment.