7/15/09 – AP: Witness: Alamo made her say life fine at compound
San Francisco Chronicle
July 15, 2009
By JON GAMBRELL
Witness: Pastor made her say life fine at compound
A former follower of evangelist Tony Alamo acknowledged at his sex-crimes trial Wednesday that she once wrote a letter saying life was fine inside his compound, but said the minister forced her to do so.
The woman says she was forced to marry Alamo at age 15. Under cross-examination, she said she falsely painted a rosy picture of his church after he saw critical statements from others on the Internet.
The 30-year-old told jurors she left Alamo briefly in 2005 but failed to adjust to life on the outside. She said she left for good in 2006, then stepped forward after state and federal agents raided his Arkansas compound last September.
Alamo is accused of transporting girls across state lines for sex. He has pleaded not guilty.