7/16/09 – AP: Texas woman: Alamo joked about underage bride
Seattle Times
July 16, 2009
By JON GAMBRELL
Texas woman: Pastor joked about underage bride
A Texas woman who formerly followed evangelist Tony Alamo told a federal jury Thursday that the minister often joked about taking an underage girl with him on the road as a wife and sex partner.
Prosecutors called the 33-year-old woman to the stand to corroborate testimony from a Florida woman who said she “married” Alamo at age 15. The Texas woman is not among those identified as victims in the 10-count federal indictment against the Arkansas-based pastor.
The government is attempting to prove that Alamo took young girls across state lines for sex. The 74-year-old minister could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted.
The witness Thursday also said Alamo canceled biology classes for children in the compound after discovering that topics would include sexual reproduction.