Tag: cults

Brazilian healer John of God, promoted by Oprah Winfrey as an inspiring figure of spiritual miracles, sentenced to 118 years in prison for sexual rapes

João Teixeira de Faria, also known as John of God, self-proclaimed Brazilian medium and spiritual surgeon, has accumulated sentences exceeding 489 years in prison for systematic rapes and sexual abuses.

In September 2023, a Goiás court imposed an additional 118 years, six months, and 15 days on him for 17 cases of rape, rape by deception, and rape of vulnerable persons. He had already received 19 years and four months in December 2019 for four rapes, and in 2020 he added another 40 years for five additional cases.

The convictions are based on judicial evidence and testimonies that the courts considered credible. More than 600 women from Brazil and abroad, aged between 9 and 67 years, reported abuses committed between 1986 and 2017 at his center in Abadiânia.

Among them is his own daughter, Dalva Teixeira, who recounted abuses from the ages of 10 to 14 and a forced pregnancy that ended in abortion due to beatings.

The victims described an identical pattern: Faria would separate them during “private healing sessions,” turn off the lights, and sexually assault them under the excuse of transferring spiritual energy.

International media reported even more serious allegations of an alleged “baby farms” system: poor young women supposedly held and forced to gestate in order to sell newborns abroad.

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Did Archaeologists Uncover Evidence of a Neanderthal “Skull Cult” in This Ancient Spanish Cave?

Archaeologists in central Spain report the puzzling discovery of a collection of ancient animal skulls found deep within an ancient cave near Madrid.

The unusual find is believed to represent evidence of repeated activity carried out tens of thousands of years ago by Neanderthals who once lived in the region, and may offer compelling evidence of symbolic behavior previously thought to be unique to modern humans.

The discovery was detailed in recent research published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences.

Discovery at the “Valley of the Neanderthals”

During excavations beginning in 2009, archaeologists uncovered a rich layer of Middle Paleolithic artifacts within Des-Cubierta Cave, located in Pinilla del Valle near Madrid, Spain. Since that time, the area has been dubbed the “Valley of the Neanderthals” for the remarkable ancient discoveries there.

Such finds include the recovery of several Mousterian stone tools—the primary culture of Middle Paleolithic Europe, as recognized by archaeologists—and a technological manifestation widely associated with Neanderthals in Europe.

Stone tools were not all that the cave had shielded against the elements for several tens of thousands of years: the additional presence of a concentration of animal crania added a layer of archaeological significance unlike those found at other European sites linked to the mysterious Neanderthals.

An Accumulation of Ancient Mammal Skulls

Altogether, portions of skulls associated with 35 large animals, including 28 cattle, five species of deer, and two ancient Ice Age rhinoceroses, were discovered in the cave. Curiously, no other skeletal remains from these animals were present, which included even jaws and facial bones that might normally be associated with the discovery of skulls from such animals under other circumstances.

Several questions lingered about whether natural conditions, such as flooding, might have carried the remains into the cave. However, the seemingly obvious implication, based on the very specific selection of only upper crania present within the cave, had been that the skulls were placed there intentionally at some point in the remote past. If so, why had the cave’s ancient visitors done this, and what might it potentially mean?

Evidence of a Neanderthal Skull Cult?

To answer such questions, the research team behind the investigation, led by archaeologist Lucía Villaescusa of the University of Alcalá, closely examined deposits in the cave, ranging from geological debris to fragmented bones. By mapping the distribution of artifacts and reconstructing bone fragments, the team discerned and analyzed preservation patterns to determine how the remains were brought to the cave.

During their investigations, the team found evidence of an ancient rockfall event that created a sloping, conical debris area. Significantly, it was only after this that evidence of skulls began to appear within the cave.

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Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, former ZAKA head, dies year after attempted suicide

Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, creator of ZAKA and alleged rapist, has died at the age of 62, a year after he attempted suicide and less than a month prior to his 63rd birthday.

One of the most well-known and colorful characters of Jerusalem’s ultra-Orthodox, anti-Zionist communities, Meshi-Zahav founded the famed medical search and rescue group, but his life was tainted by revelations of numerous allegations against him of rape, sexual assault and pedophilia.

Meshi-Zahav was an 11th generation Jerusalemite who, in his youth, headed the anti-Zionist demonstrations in the capital, and demonstrations against Sabbath violators, including throwing rocks at passing cars.

A grandson of Rabbi Yosef Scheinberger, the secretary of the Eida Hareidit Rabbinical Court, and with blood ties to the Rivlin family on his mother’s side, Meshi-Zahav was considered nobility in ultra-Orthodox circles.

He developed a special relationship with the police, despite being arrested several times after organizing anti-Zionist rallies.

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4,700-Year-Old Discovery Reveals Clues to Cult of Ishtar’s Spread Throughout the Ancient World

Hidden beneath an ancient temple in Assur, Iraq, archaeologists have made a discovery that holds potentially crucial evidence for the cult of Ishtar’s origins in the area.

The researchers behind the discovery date the temple’s foundation to between 2896 BCE and 2702 BCE, saying that it provides crucial evidence for the spread of Mesopotamian ritual practice to northern Iraq and urban life at Assur over 4,700 years ago, revealing the growth of cult worship.

The findings were published in The Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.

Assur’s Ishtar Temple

Assyria was a major Mesopotamian civilization that began as Assur—initially a meager city-state—and eventually expanded into a much larger empire.

The city itself is located on the western bank of the Tigris River, and during the first millennium BCE, the Neo-Assyrian empire became well established, leaving a rich corpus of well-preserved records about these later periods. Yet, earlier records are murkier or nonexistent, leaving Assur’s beginnings shrouded in mystery.

German archaeologist Walter Andrae first excavated the Ishtar Empire between 1903 and 1914.  However, the deepest layers remained covered until the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich’s Assur Excavation Project in 2024. Modern coring technology has enabled archaeologists to access the temple cella.

“The excavators of the Ishtar temple simply didn’t report it, so we assume they didn’t see it,” lead author Mark Altaweel told The Debrief in an email. “The sand is below the last floor level of the temple, so it is possible they just didn’t dig far enough or reach the bedrock. We basically cored until we hit the bedrock.”

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FBI investigating Two by Twos for historical child sexual abuse claims, including in Australia

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched an international investigation into child sexual abuse within a secretive Christian sect that has followers throughout Australia.

The global fundamentalist sect does not have an official name. It is referred to by believers as The Truth or The Way, or by non-believers as the Two by Twos, or the Church with No Name.

WARNING: This story contains details that may be distressing to some readers.

Believers of the church meet in people’s homes for prayer sessions, with the group’s ministers moving between the different cities and countries where followers are based.

In February in the United States, the FBI launched a probe into the group after widescale reports of abuse were publicised by the BBC earlier this year.

A hotline for former members who have experienced sexual abuse within the sect in Australia and New Zealand has received allegations involving about 130 separate people.

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Colombia says 17 minors rescued from Jewish cult Lev Tahor amid abuse allegations

Colombian authorities said Sunday they had rescued 17 minors from Lev Tahor, an extremist ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect under investigation for alleged child sex abuse.

“We have rescued 17 boys, girls and teens,” the country’s immigration service said on X, posting pictures of some of the children with their faces blurred or shielded from view.

Five of the minors rescued were identified as missing persons whom Interpol had issued “yellow notices” to find, authorities said.

Founded in Jerusalem in the 1980s, Lev Tahor — literally, “pure heart” in Hebrew — has been dogged by allegations of child abuse for years, and Israel and others have called it a cult. Its leader is in prison for kidnapping children.

A group called Lev Tahor Survivors has estimated the sect’s membership at several hundred people and says it is led by a core cohort, with the rest being held mostly against their will.

The group adheres to an extreme, idiosyncratic interpretation of Judaism and kosher dietary laws that largely shields members from the outside world.

Women and girls above the age of 3 are required to dress in black robes that completely cover their bodies, leading some to call the group the “Jewish Taliban.” The men spend most of their days in prayer and studying specific portions of the Torah.

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FBI Targets ‘764’ Network That Preys on Victims as Young as 9

FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino said on Nov. 20 that taking down the “764” network—which grooms and coerces minors on gaming and social media platforms—has become one of the bureau’s highest priorities, with hundreds of active investigations into the criminal acts of the “heinous” group.

Patel said in a Nov. 20 statement that the FBI is fully committed to cracking down on the criminal network. He urged parents to monitor their children’s internet activity more closely to limit opportunities for online predators to harm kids.

“This FBI is fully engaged in taking down the heinous ‘764’ network that targets America’s children online,” Patel said.

He also said that more than 300 investigations are ongoing across the United States, and the FBI is “not stopping.”

The network, which investigators say began in 2021 with a Texas teenager, is linked to a broader extremist online ecosystem that pushes children toward self-harm, animal abuse, sexual exploitation, and even suicide.

Bongino said in a Nov. 20 statement that agents in the FBI’s Baltimore field office recently arrested an individual accused of targeting at least five minors as young as 13. The suspect is in federal custody, and more details are expected soon.

“This @FBI will keep working day and night to destroy this network. It is a top priority,” Bongino said. “We are making progress, but the work isn’t done.”

In Arizona, authorities recently announced charges against another alleged “764” affiliate who prosecutors say targeted at least nine victims, including some between the ages of 11 and 15. The indictment alleges crimes including child sexual abuse material production and distribution, cyberstalking, animal-crushing content, and even conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.

“This man’s alleged crimes are unthinkably depraved and reflect the horrific danger of 764—if convicted, he will face severe consequences as we work to dismantle this evil network,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “I urge parents to remain vigilant about the threats their children face online.”

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Member of Satanic “764” Cult Charged After 13-Year-Old Girl Found Hanging in Parking Lot

An investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and German authorities led to charges Wednesday against a man accused of convincing a 13-year-old to hang herself in Washington State on behalf of a cult-like group, according to multiple reports.

German prosecutors charged an unnamed defendant dubbed “White Tiger” with hundreds of crimes, including the teen’s murder, for an alleged campaign of online abuse and sexual predation that victimized more than 30 children, CBS News reported. Authorities linked the man to “764,” a Satanic online movement that the FBI says is driven by a nihilistic hatred of society.

The teenage victim’s body was found in Gig Harbor, Washington, in January 2022 after she had hung herself with an extension cord on a black chain link fence in a grocery store parking lot, The Washington Post reported. After police sought the FBI’s help, investigators found that online predators associated with 764 allegedly groomed her into the suicide, which she livestreamed on Instagram via her phone. The individuals allegedly suggested in online messages that she take off her clothes because it would make the spectacle “hotter.”

The child victim told her parents she was a transgender boy at age ten and later became anorexic and depressed, FBI agents learned, according to The Washington Post. German prosecutors allege that “White Tiger” began building an online relationship with her while manipulating her and numerous other children into self-harm, starting when the suspect was 16, CBS News reported.

Threats against children from 764 have risen in recent years as the cultists lure vulnerable minors into private group chats and coax them into self-harm or degrading sexual acts, according to the FBI. Similar groups may go by different names but unite around 764’s methods, and adherents work together to evade bans from tech platforms, the Daily Caller News Foundation previously reported.

Investigators traced the digital footprint of “White Tiger” and allegedly found other victims on multiple social media platforms who he had convinced to cut themselves, as well as a photo of him cross-dressing in women’s clothes, according to The Washington Post. He allegedly shared the child abuse content with other followers of 764 to boost his reputation in the criminal network.

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The secret cult caves of polyamorous Mormon ‘prophet’ with 85 wives are seen for first time

An expert has revealed what’s hidden inside secret caves in Arizona created by the self-proclaimed prophet of a polygamous cult.

In preparation for the end of the world, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, led by Warren Jeffs, began digging caves underneath the compound that housed his enormous ‘family’.  

Jeffs is currently serving a life sentence for aggravated sexual assault and a further 20 years for another count of sexual assault.  

‘Not only were they preparing for the end of the world from a religious standpoint, but they were temporarily preparing for it,’ veteran investigator Mike King told NewsNation.

‘And they started digging caves that I heard about all the years I was investigating out there, but I could never prove (their existence), I could never find it when I talked to members of the FLDS.’

The church, a radical Mormon denomination of around 13,000, had mostly previously denied the existence of the caves.

Members told King ‘we’ve heard about it, but [the caves] don’t exist’.

‘I would talk to leaders in the church who fell away and said, “No, it doesn’t exist,”‘ King added. 

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New Jersey Police Chief Accused of Leading a Secret Sex Cult

The daughter of a New Jersey police chief is accusing her father, and others, of having engaged in “ritualistic” sexual abuse against her and her sisters over a period of years.

The unnerving claims are part of an ongoing lawsuit the woman has filed, likening her father and others to participating in a sort of cult while the alleged abuse took place.

Leonia Police Chief Scott Tamagny, as well as a neighbor and acquaintance of his named Kevin Slevin, are the subject of an ongoing lawsuit launched by Tamagny’s 20-year-old daughter, where court documents assert the young woman, and her sisters, endured years of sexual abuse from their father and others.

Courtney Tamagny has recently taken the claims against her father public, detailing her alleged years-long abuse on various podcasts.

According to court documents, Slevin and her father would regularly abuse her in her home, as well as taking her out into the woods nearby to further the alleged abuse with “ritualistic” worshippers serving as both an audience and participants. 

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