Child Porn Investigation Leads to Alamo Ministry Raid

FOUKE, Ark. — A child pornography investigation led to a raid on the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries in rural Fouke, Ark., Saturday.

Six minors have been temporarily placed in custody of the Arkansas Department of Human Services as investigators interview them, according to a spokesman for the state police. In the event of any “long-term separation” from the property of the ministry, courts will decide the children’s status.

Sadler did not say how long the interviews would last or how old the children were, but an email message that was mistakenly sent to news organizations last week referred to 12-, 13- and 14-year-old girls.

The Saturday raid involved more than 100 federal and state law enforcement agents. Investigators said their two-year inquiry into accusations of child abuse and pornography focused on a convicted tax evader, Tony Alamo, and his ministry, described by its critics as a cult. The search of the Fouke complex ended after midnight Saturday. Officials reportedly have no plans to search the buildings again and have not indicated any plans to search other ministry locations.

Alamo was quoted on Saturday as saying that the investigation was part of a federal push to legalize same-sex marriage while outlawing polygamy. He also said for girls having sex, “consent is puberty.”

Alamo and his wife Susan were street preachers in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles in 1966 before forming a commune near Saugus, Calif. After Susan Alamo died of cancer in 1982, Alamo claimed she would be resurrected and kept her body on display for six months while their followers prayed.

Alamo was convicted of tax-related charges in 1994 after the Internal Revenue Service said he owed the government $7.9 million and served four years in prison.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors extremist groups, describes Alamo’s ministry as a cult that opposes homosexuality, Catholicism and the government.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Ohio AG Threatens Action Against 'Major' Adult Sites Over AV Law

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today that his office is sending "notice of violation" letters to 19 adult websites for failure to comply with the state's recently enacted age verification law.

Ukrainian Content Creators on Hook for Nearly $10M in Back Taxes

Content creators in Ukraine owe the equivalent of $9.3 million in back taxes, according to the country's State Tax Service.

Updated: European Patent Office Board of Appeals Revokes EIS GmbH Patent

The European Patent Office (EPO) Board of Appeals last week ruled in favor of pleasure brand LELO in the company's ongoing dispute with Satisfyer parent company EIS GmbH.

Update: Pornhub Will Not Block Ohio, Despite AV Law

Pornhub parent company Aylo will not block access to its websites in Ohio, despite new state age verification rules that came into effect Sept. 30.

Judge Dismisses Some Claims in 'Children of Pornhub' Trafficking Suit

A United States district judge on Friday dismissed some but not all claims against Aylo in a long-running case involving CSAM allegations featured in the influential 2020 New York Times article “The Children of Pornhub.”

Arcom to Expand AV Enforcement to Smaller Adult Sites

The president of French media regulator Arcom revealed on Thursday that the agency plans to escalate its enforcement of age verification rules to include smaller adult sites, starting in late 2025 or early 2026.

Pornhub to Shut Down Access in Arizona Over Age Verification

Aylo will geoblock Pornhub across Arizona starting Sept. 26, when the state’s age verification law, HB 2112, goes into effect.

French Telecoms Mogul Ignites AV Firestorm With Free VPN, Sarcastic Tweet

French billionaire Xavier Niel, founder of telecommunications giant Iliad, sparked a heated debate this week when he appeared to admit that the company's Free Mobile wireless carrier integrated no-cost VPN into its service specifically to circumvent age verification restrictions on adult content.

UPDATED: Michigan Legislators Propose Online Porn Ban

Michigan lawmakers have introduced a bill that would make it illegal to distribute pornography via the internet in the state.

EU Advocate General: France Can Require Foreign Sites to Implement AV

An advocate general of the European Union’s Court of Justice on Thursday advised the court to rule that France may require pornographic websites based in other EU states to implement age verification in accordance with French law.

Show More