Tag: Wayne Bent

Eyewitness News 4 investigative reporter Jeremy Jojola spoke with the woman, known as Esther, just hours before deputies took her away from her cult compound near Clayton, New Mexico. It is where she has lived in isolation since she was six years old, along with others who believe Wayne Bent to be the messiah.

“I swear by God that he is in jail over a lie, and I won’t support that,” said Esther. “I’m willing to die on what I stand on, which is purely God’s instructions to me. I wouldn’t be doing this if God hadn’t told me to, but I’m willing to die doing what God told me to do, and in essence, yes, it would be for Wayne Bent.”

A member of a northeastern New Mexico religious sect has been removed from the sect’s compound near Clayton by sheriff’s deputies so they can convince her to eat.

The woman has been starving herself since the day cult leader Wayne Bent entered prison on a 10-years sentence.

According to an entry on the Strong City Web site of The Lord Our Righteousness Church, a woman named Esther was taken by Union County deputies late Wednesday night, a day after they had checked on her condition at the sect’s compound.

Just a few days into his 10-year prison sentence, cult leader (‘son of God’ and false prophet) Wayne Bent has ended his hunger strike — now referring to it as a ‘religious fast.’

Throughout his trial, the 67-year-old sect leader repeatedly said he would refuse to eat if he was sent to prison:

“If I go to jail again, I am not going to live there. I will not,” he told the court.

The leader of a New Mexico cult has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The judge sentenced 67-year-old Wayne Bent to the maximum of 18 years on Tuesday, then suspended eight years.

Bent was convicted of 1 count of criminal sexual contact of a minor and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor earlier this month.

On his website, Bent continues to claim he was crucified and falsely convicted like Christ.

“The jury was a very good picture of the world and by convicting the Son of God for a crime that he did not commit, as they did with Jesus Christ, they have convicted themselves,” Bent said in the statement.

He will be sentenced later this month.

The leader of an apocalyptic sect convicted of sexual misconduct with young female followers isn’t hoping for a break when he’s sentenced and likely wouldn’t live long in prison, his son says.

Jeff Bent said he believed it was the “end of the road for the world” because of his father’s conviction.

He sidestepped questions about whether the 45 or so church members would fast if Wayne Bent did while he was in prison. Church members had indicated last week that they would.

Wayne Bent insists that he did nothing wrong by lying naked with two teenage girls, and that it’s common for him to kiss and embrace any member of his group.

Surrounded by his followers, Wayne Bent waited outside a Taos, New Mexico Courthouse on Friday.

News 13’s Mike Paluska asked Bent if he’d do it again. At first, Bent and his followers chuckled at the question and he refused to give an answer. However, he’d later respond.