Tony Alamo Denies Child Abuse Charges
San Jose Mercury News
April 2, 1988
SECT LEADER DENIES CHILD ABUSE
Fundamentalist Christian leader Tony Alamo insisted Friday that children were not abused at his commune, saying there was no foundation for issuing an arrest warrant for him on that charge.
Nine members of Alamo’s sect were arrested Thursday at his northern Los Angeles County commune, four of them for investigation of felony child abuse.
“This is the first time this kind of an accusation has ever come up to our church regarding child abuse,” Alamo said in a telephone call to Los Angeles radio station KABC. “We’ve never abused any children. We’re accused of spoiling our children rotten.”
Thursday’s raid was based on warrants issued after a boy removed from the commune by court order last week said he and other children were beaten by adult members, sheriff’s Deputy Dan Cox said.
The four taken into custody in connection with the child abuse investigation were identified as Terry Farr, 36, Kerry Yunkin, 35, Dough Christopher, 34, and Berry Hanes, 36, authorities said. They all were held in lieu of $20,000 bail. ”If I’m apprehended, then I am. I don’t have anything to hide,” Alamo said. He had not been arrested as of Friday afternoon, deputies said.