Pagen Church Busted For Sex Crimes
Arizona Police on Wednesday raided a Phoenix Goddess Temple by accusing it as a prostitution house and accused more than 30 people that are related to the Phoenix Goddess Temple, Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said on Thursday.
Phoenix police after a six-month investigation arrested 18 individual affiliated with the temple, a suspected house of prostitution operating under the pretence of providing "religious" services.
"They were committing crimes under the guise of religious freedom," Phoenix police spokesman Steve Martos told ABC news. "It's a sad situation when people are trying to hide behind religion and church to commit a crime."
Search warrants were implemented on late Wednesday on locations in Sedona and Phoenix with the cooperation and support of law enforcement officials from the Sedona Police Department and Yavapai County.
Search is going on for more 17 more people who are also charged in connection with the prostitution enterprise, Martos said.
The 20 individual arrested till now have been charged with prostitution or other offenses, police said.
"Although it is not uncommon for criminals to hide their criminal acts from law enforcement, it is particularly disheartening that some would attempt to disguise their crimes as religious freedom," acting Phoenix Police Chief, Joseph Yahner said.
"The First Amendment protection of the free exercise of religion does not allow individuals to trade sex for money, no matter how the transaction is portrayed," said Maricopa County Bill Montgomery. "Thanks to the cooperative efforts of our law enforcement partners here in Phoenix and in Yavapai County, we are now in a position to hold these so-called healers accountable for allegedly running brothels in residential neighborhoods," he added.
Montgomery concluded by stating, "We will protect our community from the impact of criminal enterprises no matter how they may be characterized."
Police during the investigation of the Phoenix temple and two other church-related sites in nearby Sedonas seized evidence which showed that "male and female 'practitioners' at the temple were performing sexual acts in exchange for monetary 'donations', all under the guise of providing 'Neo Tantric' healing therapies," police said.
The "temple" generated tens of thousands of dollars a month, Martos told CNN.
The Goddess Temple founder Tracy Elise was also arrested. She was involved in a similar suspected brothel in Seattle that was shut down by law enforcement in 2009. She faces charges of prostitution, illegal control of an enterprise, pandering, and operating a house of prostitution.
The other individual accused face charges, including conspiracy, working in a house of prostitution and massaging without a license, police said.
The prostitution work has been going in Phoenix since 2009. The matter came to light when residents complained about the temple to the authorities.
A local Phoenix newspaper then visited the place and published an article about the happenings that were going inside the temple in the name of the God.
After the tri-state "Desert Divas" ring in 2008 the Phoenix temple prostitution became the largest bust.
"What's unusual is that they were trying to hide behind religion or church, and under the guise of religious freedom, they were committing acts of prostitution," Martos said.
"We certainly respect First Amendment rights. However, religious freedom does not allow for criminal acts," Martos said.
The temple Web site is not available online. The teachings of the Web site said that "Sex is a holy, sacred and divine healing force at the core (of) our beings. Once we embrace this force instead of deny it, we become successful, happy and powerful manifestos," CNN reported.
Naked women, listed as residing in several states, under a "Goddesses" section were also featured in the Web site.
Out of the 20 people arrested four are men, and two of the four are alleged prostitutes, Martos said. The other 16 individuals are women, he added.
The Phoenix Goddess Temple was founded in 2008 and has been operating at 2728 North 24th Street in Phoenix since July 2009.
See Chick's THE OUTCAST.
Phoenix police after a six-month investigation arrested 18 individual affiliated with the temple, a suspected house of prostitution operating under the pretence of providing "religious" services.
"They were committing crimes under the guise of religious freedom," Phoenix police spokesman Steve Martos told ABC news. "It's a sad situation when people are trying to hide behind religion and church to commit a crime."
Search warrants were implemented on late Wednesday on locations in Sedona and Phoenix with the cooperation and support of law enforcement officials from the Sedona Police Department and Yavapai County.
Search is going on for more 17 more people who are also charged in connection with the prostitution enterprise, Martos said.
The 20 individual arrested till now have been charged with prostitution or other offenses, police said.
"Although it is not uncommon for criminals to hide their criminal acts from law enforcement, it is particularly disheartening that some would attempt to disguise their crimes as religious freedom," acting Phoenix Police Chief, Joseph Yahner said.
"The First Amendment protection of the free exercise of religion does not allow individuals to trade sex for money, no matter how the transaction is portrayed," said Maricopa County Bill Montgomery. "Thanks to the cooperative efforts of our law enforcement partners here in Phoenix and in Yavapai County, we are now in a position to hold these so-called healers accountable for allegedly running brothels in residential neighborhoods," he added.
Montgomery concluded by stating, "We will protect our community from the impact of criminal enterprises no matter how they may be characterized."
Police during the investigation of the Phoenix temple and two other church-related sites in nearby Sedonas seized evidence which showed that "male and female 'practitioners' at the temple were performing sexual acts in exchange for monetary 'donations', all under the guise of providing 'Neo Tantric' healing therapies," police said.
The "temple" generated tens of thousands of dollars a month, Martos told CNN.
The Goddess Temple founder Tracy Elise was also arrested. She was involved in a similar suspected brothel in Seattle that was shut down by law enforcement in 2009. She faces charges of prostitution, illegal control of an enterprise, pandering, and operating a house of prostitution.
The other individual accused face charges, including conspiracy, working in a house of prostitution and massaging without a license, police said.
The prostitution work has been going in Phoenix since 2009. The matter came to light when residents complained about the temple to the authorities.
A local Phoenix newspaper then visited the place and published an article about the happenings that were going inside the temple in the name of the God.
After the tri-state "Desert Divas" ring in 2008 the Phoenix temple prostitution became the largest bust.
"What's unusual is that they were trying to hide behind religion or church, and under the guise of religious freedom, they were committing acts of prostitution," Martos said.
"We certainly respect First Amendment rights. However, religious freedom does not allow for criminal acts," Martos said.
The temple Web site is not available online. The teachings of the Web site said that "Sex is a holy, sacred and divine healing force at the core (of) our beings. Once we embrace this force instead of deny it, we become successful, happy and powerful manifestos," CNN reported.
Naked women, listed as residing in several states, under a "Goddesses" section were also featured in the Web site.
Out of the 20 people arrested four are men, and two of the four are alleged prostitutes, Martos said. The other 16 individuals are women, he added.
The Phoenix Goddess Temple was founded in 2008 and has been operating at 2728 North 24th Street in Phoenix since July 2009.
See Chick's THE OUTCAST.
posted by chickcomics | 12:36 PM
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