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Thursday, July 24, 2008
July 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
9:37:00 AM EDT

Gimme That Old Time Relligion


 
Manuel Taboada Mug
 
Minister Charged With Sexual Assualt
 
56 year-old Manuel Taboada was the leader of a small religious ministry in Kaneohe.

"They have a number of children back there, and like I said they have their own religion," said neighbor Ruth Okamura.

Monday afternoon, Taboada was arrested and accused of sexually assaulting a girl whose family belonged to his "Back to the Cross" ministry.

Neighbors say Taboada, and other church members home schooled a majority of the children.

"Yeah kind of shocking," said Okamura. "He didn't strike me as the kind of person."

According to court documents the victim came forward with her accusations last week. She told police - she moved into the church house with her family in 1999, when she was 12 years old.

"The defendant moved the victim into his room with his family to groom her for a leadership position taking her from her family's room and moved them into another house," said Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, Vicki Kapp.

Court documents say that over the next eight years, Taboada also known as "Memo" sexually assaulted her on numerous occasions between '99 and last year.

"Since the victim was 12 years old the suspect committed numerous sexual offenses against her in the house and in the ministries van, until she turned 20 years old. He told her if she told anyone that the ministry would fall apart and the children of the other families would be taken away," said Kapp.

Wednesday, a grand jury indicted him on eight counts of sex assault.

"There were similar allegations against the defendant in his ministry that he formed in Portland Oregon, and a similar investigation is being conducted at this time in Oregon by authorities," said Kapp.

A judge set his bail at 2-million dollars. He remains in police custody.


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