Sect leader guilty of sexual contact
An apocalyptic religious sect’s leader was convicted of criminal sexual contact with an underage girl in an incident he called a spiritual healing exercise.
Wayne Bent, 67, was found guilty of one count of criminal sexual contact of a minor and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He is the self-described Messiah and leader of the Lord Our Righteousness Church in New Mexico.
Bent faced two counts each of criminal sexual contact with a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor involving two sisters, ages 14 and 16, in 2006. He was acquitted on the criminal sexual contact charge involving the younger girl.
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