Preacher Tony Alamo Convicted On Federal Sex Charges

toggle caption AP/Tanner Spendley, Texarkana Gazette

A federal jury in Texarkana, Ark. convicted evangelist and one-time clothing entrepreneur Tony Alamo of crossing state lines with five underage girls for the purpose of sex.

The jury took just two days to decide that Alamo had violated the Mann Act which makes it illegal to transport women across state lines for "immoral purposes."

The 74-year old Alamo was convicted on each count of a 10-count indictment with each count carrying a potential 10-year sentence and $250,000 fine.

An excerpt from an Associated Press report:

Defense lawyers said the government targeted Alamo because it doesn't like his apocalyptic brand of Christianity. Alamo has blamed the Vatican for his legal troubles, which include a four-year prison term for tax evasion in the 1990s.

With little physical evidence, prosecutors relied on the women's stories to paint an emotional portrait of a charismatic religious leader who controlled every aspect of his subjects' lives. No one obtained food, clothing or transportation without him knowing about it.

At times, men were ordered away from the compound and their wives kept as another Alamo bride. Minor offenses from either gender drew beatings or starvation fasts.

In the end, prosecutors convinced jurors in Arkansas' conservative Christian climate that Alamo's ministry offered him the opportunity to prey on the young girls of loyal followers who

believed him to be a prophet who spoke directly to God. They described a ministry that ran on the fear of drawing the anger of "Papa Tony..."