Evangelist Tony Alamo (real name Bernie Hoffman) faces some serious charges. He was arrested Thursday in Flagstaff, Arizona, on charges related to a child pornography. Tony Alamo is a principal in Tony Alamo Christian Ministries. What makes the charges even more bizarre is that Alamo is in his 70's. Apparently, he was such an important suspect that the FBI, the Flagstaff Police Department and the Arizona Department of Public Safety all participated in the arrest. The official federal charge involves knowingly transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in sexual activity.
Alamo was transported to Coconino County Jail in Flagstaff for his initial appearance Friday in federal court. What evidence do they have? 100 federal and state agents raided Alamo's 15-acre compound in Arkansas. They removed six children and have taken them into temporary custody. Will Tony's own words be detrimental to his case: Evangelist: 'Puberty' is age of sexual consent?
Alamo has denied any wrongdoing. He publicly commented: "It's a hoax... They're just trying to make our church look evil ... by saying I'm a pornographer. Saying that I rape little children. ... I love children. I don't abuse them. Never have. Never will." Alamo apparently has taken a martyr position and compared himself to Christ.
"Why were they after Jesus?" he asked. "It's the same reason. Jesus is living within me."
Keep in mind all suspects are innocent until otherwise proven in a court of law!
Update 12-4=08: Six more children connected to the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries were taken into protective custody Wednesday to determine if they have been physically or sexually abused. The children, all siblings from Arkansas, were seized in Indiana. In total, 32 children have been seized from followers of jailed evangelist Tony Alamo since September. Tony Alamo has been charged with knowingly transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in sexual activity.
Alamo was transported to Coconino County Jail in Flagstaff for his initial appearance Friday in federal court. What evidence do they have? 100 federal and state agents raided Alamo's 15-acre compound in Arkansas. They removed six children and have taken them into temporary custody. Will Tony's own words be detrimental to his case: Evangelist: 'Puberty' is age of sexual consent?
Alamo has denied any wrongdoing. He publicly commented: "It's a hoax... They're just trying to make our church look evil ... by saying I'm a pornographer. Saying that I rape little children. ... I love children. I don't abuse them. Never have. Never will." Alamo apparently has taken a martyr position and compared himself to Christ.
"Why were they after Jesus?" he asked. "It's the same reason. Jesus is living within me."
Keep in mind all suspects are innocent until otherwise proven in a court of law!
Update 12-4=08: Six more children connected to the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries were taken into protective custody Wednesday to determine if they have been physically or sexually abused. The children, all siblings from Arkansas, were seized in Indiana. In total, 32 children have been seized from followers of jailed evangelist Tony Alamo since September. Tony Alamo has been charged with knowingly transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in sexual activity.
Update 11-16-09: Evangelist Tony Alamo should live the rest of his life in prison. He has been sentenced to 175 years on charges that included taking minors across state lines for sex. A jury previously convicted Alamo in July on 10 federal counts covering offenses that spanned 11 years and dated back to 1994. According to documents from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, the 75-year-old founder and leader of Tony Alamo Christian Ministries, will serve the sentences on each count consecutively. This should mean 175 years in prison. Alamo was also fined $250,000.
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27 comments:
This sounds creepy.
Why do so many of these religious types change their names?
Bernie, uhm or Tony loves children and would never abuse them. He likes to read them bedtime stories and have warm milk and cookies ... sounds familiar, huh?
Did he attend the Michael Jackson Finishing School for Boys?
Bernie is a man among boys...
I'll tell you what sounds creepy.
Where is all the public outrage everytime some perverted child molester priest gets caught ?
I personely know Tony Alamo and don't believe any of these vile accusations.
Has any of those people who are quick to jump on the bangwagon and condemn Tony Alamo ever even met him ? I doubt it very much.
Unbelievable ! they are like a mob
of ravenous dogs.
Dave Trevino
LP, Forgot to invite you and your readers to my site tonight. I'm trying to live-blog the debate. Everyone welcome. Fix yourself a drink - we have drinking game going on: One shot for every "my friends" or every "uh" ... don't DRIVE home.
Too bad Alamo, AKA Bernie Hoffman, wasn't a Catholic Cardinal from Boston.
If he was, the Pope would have spirited him out of the country, away from the law so he could hide behind the pope's skirts.
Is that the Bernie Hoffman defense? Well, everyone else is doing it so why can't I? The priest thing is a horse of a totally different color. Priests can't marry. That might attract a disproportionate number of sexually mixed up people. No such excuse exists for ministers.
This dude Tony "el creepo" is wierd, whether he is guilty or not.
Dave, they must have some serious evidence against Tony/Bernie to arrest him and raid his compound.
If any of the children corroborate the evidence, then he's finished.
Are you suggesting he's being framed or set up????
Is it possible that he has a dark side that you dont know about???
Dark side? I call it light in the loafers!
I loath child molesters just as much as any other decent person.
If Tony is truly guilty then let him be punished to the full extent of the law.
If their are credible wittnesses angainst him them let them speak up.
The Tony I knew 15 years ago was not capable of such vile behavier.
Dave Trevino
Also in response to he comment posted by the person who wrote:
Are you suggesting that he is being framed or set up ?
I would not rule out that possibility.
Remember, Tony Alamo in his literature writes a lot against the Government, the media the catholic churh. He pretty much
blastes the whole sinfull world.
So that makes him a lot of enimies in high places.
Again, if these vile charges are true, let him be punished.
He's enimies will celebrate with jubulation.
Let's just make sure that he get's a fair trial.
Dave Trevino
Oh and one more point That I would like to point out.
Any wittness against Tony Alamo who was a former member of his church and was kicked out for some reason or another should be disqualified.
This is the Legal Pub.
Does any one here agree that steps should be taken to make sure that the wittnesses against Tony Alamo should indeed be credible ?
Dave Trevino
Dave, have you spoken to Tony lately???
Are you Tony???
Dave, thanks for your comments. I am a strong advocate of fair, impartial trials. I have seen none of the evidence against Tony. I presume him to be innocent until proven guilty. A witness who was kicked out of the church could still testify, but his credibility would be in issue.
Update 12-4=08: Six more children connected to the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries were taken into protective custody Wednesday to determine if they have been physically or sexually abused. The children, all siblings from Arkansas, were seized in Indiana. In total, 32 children have been seized from followers of jailed evangelist Tony Alamo since September. Tony Alamo has been charged with knowingly transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in sexual activity.
Update 11-16-09: Evangelist Tony Alamo should live the rest of his life in prison. He has been sentenced to 175 years on charges that included taking minors across state lines for sex. A jury previously convicted Alamo in July on 10 federal counts covering offenses that spanned 11 years and dated back to 1994. According to documents from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, the 75-year-old founder and leader of Tony Alamo Christian Ministries, will serve the sentences on each count consecutively. This should mean 175 years in prison. Alamo was also fined $250,000.
HIS LAWYER IS APPEALING.
It is sad when spammers are so desparate for attention that they will post nearly ANYTHING. LOL.
Spammers should be cooked, just like Tony...
Tony is safe behind bars, at least for now.
On July 24, 2009 Alamo was convicted in the Federal District Court sitting in Texarkana, Arkansas on 10 counts of Interstate Transportation of Minors for Illegal Sexual Purposes, Rape, Sexual Assault and Contributing to the Delinquency of Minors. On November 13, 2009, he was sentenced to the maximum punishment of 175 years in prison. Tony will likely appeal indefinitely...
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