NM sect leader gets 10 years for molesting girls

[Adsos Letter]

Source: AP

LAS VEGAS, N.M. (AP) -- The leader of a small religious sect was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison for sexual misconduct with two teenage female followers.

Wayne Bent, 67, who claimed the encounters were spiritual, not sexual, was convicted earlier this month of criminal sexual contact with a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

State District Judge Gerald Baca imposed the maximum sentence of 18 years, but suspended eight years. He will have to serve at least 8 1/2 years before becoming eligible for release.

Bent, who calls himself Michael Travesser, is the leader of The Lord Our Righteousness Church. Its almost four dozen adult followers live in a compound they call Strong City in a rural area in northeastern New Mexico.



Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SECT_LEADER_SENTENCING?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

[Warpy]

1. This is why a lot of goofy cults avoid NM

Yes, we have a lot of beautiful, remote country where nobody will bother them. However, we also take a dim view of old men stripping little girls and getting into bed with them for spiritual encounters.

That's why the FLDS has booty farms in Texas, Arizona, Colorado and Mexico while New Mexico remains the hole in the doughnut.

Even the relatively inoffensive (well, until that suicide thing) Heaven's Gate cult decided to go to greener and less cynical pastures.

[Jamastiene]

2. Props to NM for that. n/t

[AnneD]

9. That may be true but......

the age of consent is 13 in NM. A tad young I think. That took some getting use to when we moved out there. We saw a high number of STD in really young kids.

[MineralMan]

3. Good on New Mexico!

Now, let's find someone with a life sentence and the nickname of "Tiny" for his cellmate.

[madmom]

4. So why wasn't the same thing done to the priests who molested minors?

[KansDem]

5. Good question.

I wonder how many priests committed child rape and haven't been held accountable. And I wonder how many church officials, from cardinals, bishops, and the pope himself knew about these atrocities but remained silent.

We know the Pope made a formal apology to the world for this malfeasance, but I want them all, from the perpetrators who committed the crimes to those who covered them up, to face justice. And by that I mean justice in this lifetime!

[benld74]

6. Hope he has alot of 'spiritual encounters' while in prison

[eilen]

7. interestingly, these spiritual encounters

never involve women over 40.

[opihimoimoi]

8. He would be a Happy Fella....