Philippine church leader Apollo Carreon Quiboloy charged with child sex trafficking by US prosecutors

Apollo Carreon Quiboloy is accused of running a sex-trafficking operation that threatened victims as young as 12 with ‘eternal damnation’ and physical abuse

The 71-year-old self-proclaimed ‘Appointed Son of God’ is a long-time friend and spiritual adviser of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte

Reading Time:2 minutes

Apollo Carreon Quiboloy, centre, pictured with presidential candidates attending his 60th birthday celebration in Davao City, southern Philippines, in 2010. Photo: Reuters

Published: 11:22am, 19 Nov 2021Updated: 9:49pm, 19 Nov 2021

US prosecutors on Thursday announced sex-trafficking charges alleging that girls and young women were coerced to have sex with the founder of a Philippines-based church who is a friend and adviser to President Rodrigo Duterte.

A 74-page indictment charges 71-year-old Apollo Carreon Quiboloy – founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ church – and other church officials, including two US-based church administrators, with running a sex-trafficking operation that threatened victims as young as 12 with “eternal damnation” and physical abuse unless they catered to the self-proclaimed “Son of God”.

Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles said the new indictment expanded on allegations made last year against three church administrators based in the city. It charges nine defendants with taking part in a scheme in which church members were brought to the United States using fraudulently obtained visas and forced to solicit donations to a bogus children’s charity.

FBI agents cover a fence on the grounds of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ Church in Los Angeles last year. Photo: AP

Prosecutors said the donations were used to pay for “lavish lifestyles” of the church leaders.

The latest indictment adds Quiboloy and five other new defendants to an existing indictment filed in 2020. Prosecutors said US authorities arrested three of the new defendants on Thursday, but three others, including Quiboloy, were believed to be in the Philippines.