Cult News

“Cult” leader Dwight “Malachi” York charged with sexually molesting 13 children within his group called the Nuwaubians says his name is now under “copyright,” reports The Macon Telegraph.

York’s still devoted followers passed out “copyright notice” advising the media that his name and aliases cannot be used “unauthorized.”

How will York enforce such a dubious claim? Why through his court of course.

The handouts were stamped: “Received, Jan. 08, 2003” by the “Clerk of Federal Moorish Cherokee Consular Court, USA.”

Does all this sound crazy?

Well from a man whose aliases include “Imperial Grand Potentate” and “Grand Al Mufti Divan” maybe this type of behavior shouldn’t seem too strange.

In court York threatened that any copyright violations, as he defines them, could potentially “cost $500,000.00.”

But even this sum wouldn’t buy freedom for the “Imperial Grand Potentate,” since no bail has been set for him.

York’s indictment now lists 197 counts and thus far things don’t look good for the “Mufti.”

It is said that pedophiles are more about power and control than sex. And destructive cult leaders are certainly known for that same obsession.

Apparently York is struggling for some semblance of power in a situation where he has lost control.

Six more members of “God’s Creation Outreach Church” have been charged related to a child abuse investigation undertaken after the death of a nine-year-old boy, reports the Kansas City Star.

The boy’s parents and leaders of the church Neil and Christy Edgar, who gagged their son, which allegedly led to his death were previously charged.

Five other members of the Edgar church have now also been charged regarding the gross abuse of other children in the group, which is located in Kansas City, Kansas.

Horrific child abuse has often taken place within relatively obscure groups and churches. In such independently run and somtimes isolated organizations there is little if any meaningful accountability for the leaders and the minor children of members have no control over their lives.

Just last year alone groups such as the Nuwaubians, “The Body,” Four Winds Commune, House of Prayer, Order of Saint Charbel, Church of God Restoration, the Wright Family and New Life Tabernacle faced charges regarding the sexual and/or physical abuse of minor children.

In some groups children died due to medical neglect.

The treatment of children, within groups often called “cults,” is a scandal. Child protection services often respond too late or do too little to protect these innocents.

It should be understood that minor children are only in such groups because their parents have joined.

Children are often brought into “cults” like so much baggage and frequently endure a living hell. This may include brutal corporal punishment, substandard living conditions, malnutrition and/or medical neglect.

More official intervention is necessary if minor children, who are often little more than hostages in such groups, are to be protected. Religious and/or parental rights certainly do not include the doing anything without restriction in the “name of God.”

“Cult leader” Dwight “Malachi” York is locked up without bail in Georgia on a 208-count indictment for sexually abusing children. He now faces the possibility of life in prison, probably housed in protective custody, where most convicted child molesters end up.

But York’s devoted followers still believe in him.

The man once proclaimed as the “Imperial Grand Potentate” has more recently received bad press, so his loyal disciples have created their own newspaper that they hope will influence public opinion and the potential jury pool.

A Nuwaubian newspaper called “The Macon Messenger” is now being passed out where York will eventually stand trial, reports the Macon Telegraph.

The “tabloid” of course claims that the “cult leader” has been framed and villifies the sheriff, who is supposedly to blame for York’s misfortune. Proof of the old adage, “If you don’t like the message, kill the messenger.”

This is also an old cult strategy. That is, attack others and try to shift the focus from your group and/or leader to someone or something else. Jim Jones and David Koresh both used such tactics, creating scapegoats and elaborate conspiracy theories, rather than face the consequences of their own actions.

The Nuwaubians even made the ridiculous claim that the McMartin School child sexual abuse case in California somehow paralleled York’s indictment. Nothing could be further from the truth. The McMartin case relied upon “recovered memories,” which were later discredited, while York’s charges are corroborated by mulitple witnesses who can’t forget what he did to them.

It has been said that some Nuwaubians knew that York molested children and did nothing. Now their denial appears to have reached new proportions.

Often cult members, who are deeply invested in a group through years of involvement, emotional commitment and/or personal sacrifices, will do or deny almost anything to protect their sense of equity.

Nuwaubian leader Malachi York’s “main wife” was released from jail on $75,000 bail, reports the Augusta Chronicle.

Kathy Johnson, posted bond on December 3rd. She still faces sex charges in a 208 count federal indictment.

It seems unlikely that her husband will be free anytime soon.

Lucille Poulin the dictatorial self-proclaimed “prophet” of a “cult” commune on Prince Edward Island was sentenced to eight months in jail, reports CBC.

She brutally beat and abused children within her “Four Winds” commune.

Poulin showed no remorse at sentencing and actually seemed to threaten the judge saying, “One day, everyone will face the eternal judge to answer for what they have done.” As if the judge that sentenced her needed to worry about the eternal consequences of his decision.

Poulin ranted in a rambling pre-sentence statement about her “mandate” from “God” and justified her actions through a delusional and often bizarre understanding of scripture.

But the judge concluded, “People cannot assault children without criminal law consequences.” And added, “These children were born into this environment. They were in captivity. They took the punishment and they had nowhere to turn.”

The prosecutor noted, “There are other Lucille Poulin’s out there.”

This was something of an understatement. The rise criminal cases regarding child abuse in Canada and the United States concerning “cult” groups with children is alarming. The “Nuwaubians,” “House of Prayer” and “Church of God Restoration” are examples of this serious and growing problem.

Poulin said, “Regardless of what happens to me here, He will keep my soul from hell.” It seems doubtful that most Christians would agree with that opinion.

One thing is certain, 78-year-old Poulin now has eight months of earthly hell or at least purgatory ahead of her. And as her niece said at sentencing, “It’s her turn now for punishment.”

An excellent editorial appeared in the Edmonton Journal written by Paula Simons regarding the background history of a Canadian “cult” child abuse case.

Lucille Poulin, the leader of the “Four Winds Commune” was convicted on five counts of assault for beating children within her group. Her defense was essentially that “God” told her to do it. However, the court found that invoking the name of God did not protect Poulin’s behavior.

Perhaps more disturbing than Poulin’s destructive delusions is how long it took authorities to take action.

According to records beginning in 1995 social workers knew what was going on—so why did it take so long to stop Poulin? Apparently they tried to protect the children seven years ago, but were frustrated by a judge who turned them away. Later one child died from medical neglect.

Reviewing the pattern of missed opportunities in the Poulin case is not unlike the sad histories of other “cults” that have abused children.

Groups that have been called “cults” such as the “Twelve Tribes,” “Children of God” and the so-called “Krishna Consciousness” movement have all at one time been the focus of child abuse allegations. Yet over and over again, such groups often escape law enforcement.

Child abuse was eventually proven to be rampant within the Waco Davidian sect, but Texas Child Protection workers once gave David Koresh a pass. Later, the testimony of one of Koresh’s young victims before Congress made it chillingly clear how wrong they were.

Krishna is now the defendant in a class action lawsuit filed by its former children who allege horrific acts of physical and sexual abuse.

The “Twelve Tribes,” just like the Poulin group was investigated for child abuse, but a judge also stopped that process and returned more than a hundred children to the group’s Vermont compound. Years later its children have recounted their experiences of abuse.

Former childhood members of the “Children of God” have discussion/support groups to help each other heal and recover from the abuse they experienced. The group’s founder David Berg has been exposed as a pedophile who engaged in incest and preached a doctrine of sexually stimulating children beginning at the age of four.

Another Canadian group “Church of God Restoration” was also recently found guilty concerning the abuse of its children through brutal beatings. But many within the Canadian press seemed to defend the parental prerogative of group members to inflict such punishment. In another case involving the same church in California a child also died due to medical neglect.

“Cult leader” Dwight York now faces more than 200 criminal counts for sexually abusing and exploiting minor children in his group called the “Nuwaubians.” According to the charges filed against him that abuse was apparently ongoing for years.

Arthur Allen Jr., the leader of the group known as the “House of Prayer” just began serving his jail sentence for a child cruelty conviction. Allen actually made such abuse a spectacle by brutally beating children publicly before his flock.

The story of Lucille Poulin is hardly unique. And the blunders made by authorities that allowed her to continue unchecked for so long are not uncommon either. Sadly, within the bureaucratic maze and legal due process of North America many children within “cults” are victimized.

Authorities seem to be reluctant in dealing with abuse within religious groups. Such groups almost always claim that any interference regarding their behavior is somehow “religious persecution.”

The lot of children born or brought into destructive cults like so much baggage is a scandal. Who will protect them? As Paula Simons laments in her editorial for the Edmonton Journal, “So much unnecessary suffering. So many unanswered questions.”

Perhaps the precedents recently set by court cases in both Canada and the United States will help. But it seems that so often, it is too little or too late.

Dwight “Malachi” York, the leader of a “cult” group called the Nuwaubians plead innocent concerning criminal sex charges in a Georgia courtroom last Friday, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Outside the courthouse a gathering of about 200 faithful Nuwaubians chanted “God will make a way” and “We love you.” Apparent proof that “brainwashing” can keep on working even when a cult leader is away. York has been in jail for months.

Interestingly, as the Nuwaubian leader’s following has dwindled the criminal counts within his indictment have increased. He plead to 208 related charges for molesting and sexually exploitating minor children. Possibly numbering more than the people that showed up to cheer him on.

It should come as no surprise that York’s remaining faithful remnant deny his guilt and that some even see his indictment as an “evil conspiracy” to topple their beloved leader.

Denial is often a way of life for people caught up in destructive cults. After all, there are still Davidians loyal to the memory of David Koresh living outside Waco.

Hopefully though, “God will make a way” to keep Mr. York locked up for the foreseeable future.

The criminal case against Dwight York (aka “Malachi York”), the leader of the Nuwaubians, may be the largest case regarding child molestation in the history of the United States, reports the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

A Putnam County grand jury in Georgia on October 3rd handed down a 208-count indictment. York is named in 197 counts. This almost doubles the previous counts York was charged with.

It appears that York, who once served a sentence for a felony conviction in New York State, may end up being incarcerated for the rest of his life in Georgia if convicted.

Child molesters don’t do well in prison. If York is locked up he will probably be put in protective custody. Sadly, it seems that there was little meaningful protection for the many children and families York allegedly harmed within his cult over the years.

Two teenagers allege Nuwaubian leader Malachi York began molesting them at the ages of 8 and 9 years old. He told the children if they kept this “great secret,” they “would go to heaven with the angels and … never die,” reported the Macon Telegraph.

According to former members York controlled every aspect of his follower’s lives, which included sex. However, the cult leader had sex with anyone he wanted. It appears that he may have fathered 100 children. And while many Nuwaubians lived in relative poverty their leader maintained a luxurious lifestyle.

York was arrested holding $10,000.00 and authorities found an additional $400,000.00 at group properties.

Former members claim many Nuwaubians must have known their leader was a pedophile. One said, “They’re just trying to stick up for him because they wasted their whole life…what are they going to do now?”

Many long-term cult members face such situations. Denial becomes a device to protect their personal equity invested over a lifetime.

Malachi York continues to be held without bail in a Georgian jail. He is charged with 74 counts of child molestation, 29 counts of aggravated child molestation, four counts of statutory rape, one count of rape, two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of influencing a witness and five counts of enticing a child for indecent purposes, reports the Macon Telegraph.

Alleged child molester and “cult member” Kathy Johnson will not be released from jail pending trial, reported the Macon Telegraph.

Johnson was charged in a 116 count criminal indictment along with cult leader Malachi York, who is likewise now behind bars. Charges were also filed against Ms. Johnson by the federal government for the illegal transportation of minors.

Malachi York has been sued for $1 billion dollars by the parent of a purported victim.

Some of the children allegedly victimized by Johnson and York have tested positive for sexually transmitted diseases.