A member of a Tucson church admitted he molested a boy. The pastor said he knew and never went to the police, flouting state laws that mandate reporting of such incidents.
Anjounette Thorstad left the Golden Dawn Tabernacle when she was 17. She said she was abused as a child by a teenager who went to the church. When pastor Isaac Noriega found out about her allegations years later, the pastor made “the conscious decision to ignore it,” she said.
Alleged sexual abuse of minors has been covered up in a Tucson church for decades, an investigation finds. The pastor dismissed allegations, blamed victims and screamed at police.
Lee Enterprises Public Service Journalism team and the Arizona Daily Star spent more than a year investigating a fringe religious sect for "Twisted Message." The November series examined a Christian sect called "The Message" and offshoots that have become controlling or destructive. One of those groups, a Tucson church called the Golden Dawn Tabernacle, is now under investigation by police. Read more from the original series by scanning this QR code.
Anjounette Thorstad left the Golden Dawn Tabernacle when she was 17. She said she was abused as a child by a teenager who went to the church. When pastor Isaac Noriega found out about her allegations years later, the pastor made “the conscious decision to ignore it,” she said.
