---

The Associated Press, USA
Aug. 14, 2004
www.accessnorthga.com

---

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Item 8328 • Posted: Saturday August 14, 2004  

---

A key government witness in the case of a leader of a quasi-religious sect convicted of child molestation and racketeering said she tried to recant her testimony because she felt sorry for him.

Attorneys for Malachi York, head of the United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors, had sought a new trial because one of the witnesses had made sworn statements in contradiction to trial testimony that said she had not been molested by York.

But witness Habiybah Washington said on the witness stand on Friday that her trial testimony against York was true. During the trial, she said York molested her beginning when she was 13 and that York molested other children as well.

She said she later recanted her testimony because she felt sorry for York and that “everyone deserves a second chance, even when they do something wrong.”

York’s defense attorney Jonathan Marks told Judge Ashley Royal that because Washington stuck to her original testimony, he wanted to withdraw his motion for a new trial. But York instructed Marks to leave the motion in place.

Royal did not rule on the motion on Friday.

York was sentenced to 135 years in federal prison in April. His January conviction was based on the testimony of cult members who said he regularly molested children and manipulated the sect’s finances from 1998 to 2002, when federal agents raided their compound.

---

What You Can Do From Here

---

Read More Articles On These Topics Categories: Nuwaubians Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article Subscribe Religion News Blog RSS feed [What is this?] RSS by topic: Nuwaubians Read Another Article Previous entry: Polygamist group irks W. Texas town Next entry: Clergyman Denies Baby Trafficking Charge RNB Homepage with latest headlines Find Related Information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults Find Related Books Nuwaubians Most Popular Today I know the dark side of Scientology…I almost lost my friend when she became obsessed with it Church of Scientology told to drop Churchill images

---

Share This Article

---

To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:

• Post a link on your blog or website:
  
• Send in an email or IM:
  
• Post on a forum:
  

Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support.

Note: results are listed on another domain -- CounterCultSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.

Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs.

Note: results are listed on another domain -- ApologeticsSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.