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Tony Alamo From Christian Ministries Convicted, Sex with Minors

by Amy Judd | July 24, 2009 at 02:28 pm

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Tony Alamo, an evangelist and founder of Tony Alamo Christian Ministries, has been convicted by a jury in Arkansas of 10 federal counts of taking minors across state lines for sex. Tony Alamo is 74 and his compound was raided in Arkansas and evidence found of his activities between March 1994 and October 2005, that he transported five girls under the age of 18 across state lines with the explicit purpose of having sex with them.

Three girls issued a complaint against Alamo, two of whom were 17 at the time of the incident, and one who was 14.

Alamo's real name is Bernie Hoffman, and he declares he is innocent.

"They're just trying to make our church look evil ... by saying I'm a pornographer. Saying that I rape little children. ... I love children. I don't abuse them. Never have. Never will."

Asked why authorities were searching the property, Alamo compared himself to Christ.

"Why were they after Jesus," he asked. "It's the same reason. Jesus is living within me."