Category: News

WINGS Note:

The FBI has recently published a request for information relating to abuse and/or criminal behaviour within the fellowship.

The direct links are

https://forms.fbi.gov/2×2

https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services/seeking-victim-information/seeking-victim-information-in-2×2-investigation

The text of the FBI post follows

Seeking Victim Information in 2×2 Investigation

The FBI Omaha Field Office is seeking the public’s help in identifying victims or individuals with knowledge of abuse and/or criminal behavior that has occurred within a religious group that traditionally has not had a name. The group has often been referred to by others outside of the group as “2×2,” “The Way,” “The Truth,” and “The Church With No Name,” among others.

While it is natural for parents to want to gain a better understanding of the potential exploitation of their child, further questioning of the child may lead to inaccurate statements and increased emotional trauma.

If you have information about this ongoing investigation or believe your child or other children may have been victimized by individuals affiliated with 2×2, the FBI requests you complete a short online questionnaire.

The FBI is legally mandated to identify victims of federal crimes it investigates. Victims may be eligible for certain services, restitution, and rights under federal and/or state law. Your responses are voluntary but may be useful in the federal investigation and to identify you as a potential victim. Based on the responses provided, you may be contacted by the FBI and asked to provide additional information. All identities of victims will be kept confidential.

To assist in the investigation and to be provided with information on resources available to victims, please answer the questionnaire to the best of your ability. It may be that you have already given this information to an FBI agent or law enforcement, but please provide it again on this questionnaire. Based on your responses, you may be contacted by the FBI and asked to provide additional information.

Resources

FBI Resources:

• Hotline: 402-493-8688.
• Coping with Crime Victimization
• FBI Help for Victims of Crime Brochure
• Internet Security Information

Additional Resources:

• National Safe Place Network
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline | 800-273-8255
• Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)
• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
• Office for Victims of Crime, Directory of Crime Victim Services

Post from Zuly Pastrana, a survivor from Peru.

I’m in shock. Devastated and heartbroken, I find it deeply disappointing that nothing has changed. The numerous testimonies that have surfaced in recent years leave me appalled and infuriated. Reading about the experiences of others years after what happened to me breaks my heart for them and, inevitably, for myself. It feels as if my testimony from back then meant nothing, exactly as they intended. They wanted it to be meaningless, buried, hidden, erased, twisted—and so they succeeded.

What I went through has been reduced to mere gossip, something deemed inappropriate for discussion. It transformed into a private matter meant for God alone, declared disrespectful to bring up in a sacred place. It even mutated into a twisted form of sexual intimacy that should remain undisclosed, resulting in my silence. During my research, the most disheartening discovery was realizing I wasn’t alone. Many came before me, and I had unearthed an utterly disgusting secret. Those who spoke out before me were silenced as well. When they decided to leave the so-called “sacred place,” they were labeled as mundane, crazy, liars, and gossipers. Our brothers and sisters in the meetings were quick to support these false narratives, even though many had known the truth for years but chose silence in a misguided attempt not to discourage the rest of us.

Now, I have a question for you: How do you feel in the aftermath of this revelation? Do you believe your silence was helpful? Let me make it clear; your silence makes you just as guilty as those who committed these acts. As a result, many victims left, relocated, and started new lives far away from the place that caused them harm because merely avoiding the meetings wasn’t sufficient. How do I know? I’ve reached out to them, talked to them, and their reactions ranged from heartbreak to disgust upon hearing that it happened to me. Some were enraged to discover it was the same man who had hurt them, mirroring my own feelings now that I know there were many more victims after me. I’m certain they felt their testimonies did not matter because, like mine, they had been distorted into something other than what they really are: child sexual abuse.

Shockingly for me, many of them were still very faithful to the Truth and believed in it passionately. They knew in their hearts that this was not God’s fault but man’s. However, that was the only thing they could do, to put their trust in God because when they have trusted men, the ones who were supposed to protect them, they had protected the rapist instead, and when they looked for comfort in the arms of the community, the community accused them and whoever supported them of betrayal. They were so blinded they could not see this was not God’s doing and that those workers weren’t working for God. And so the cycle repeated itself and I was on my way to start a new life far away from the place that hurt me and from the community that turned its back on me, just as many had done before me because there was no one else who could help us.

I refuse to divide the community into those who were aware and those who weren’t, those who took action and those who didn’t. I understand that some were aware and actively fought against it, and it’s thanks to them that I have the opportunity to share my testimony again today. I recognize that some of you refused to believe it, not out of malice, but because it’s something we don’t want to accept. As long as you resisted and fought against it, believing that God would never allow such things to happen, I empathize with your struggle. We are not simply black or white; we exist in shades of grey. Unfortunately, those who fought against it were very far away from our meetings. In my hometown, the workers are revered like royalty. They’re given the best table, the finest food, the most comfortable seats. I recall attending annual meetings and noticing the special treatment they received, contrasting sharply with the rest of us. The way they’re idolized in the community, as if they were saints or divine, is bewildering. People line up to greet them as if it were a celebrity meet-and-greet, and everyone falls in line. I don’t blame them—the community members, that is, not the workers Many of those who attend are from low socioeconomic backgrounds and are easily influenced by the workers. However, susceptibility to manipulation isn’t limited to socioeconomic status. It’s worth mentioning because many lack access to the internet, cell phones, or social media. They struggle with literacy, speak minimal Spanish or dialects, and reside far from urban areas. The workers are well aware of this, both the good and the bad ones. The latter make use of this vulnerability to keep them misinformed and manipulate them exploiting the hierarchical structure within the community. Younger workers, in particular, have little authority and are expected to comply without question. They may be unaware of the full extent of what’s happening or feel powerless to act. However, when it comes to workers who engage in child sexual abuse, there appears to be a different set of rules. They enjoy certain privileges, such as frequent travel and opportunities for international trips, even after committing wrongdoing. They retain their positions and continue teaching, but don’t you dare marry outside the faith, you risk losing your standing, and is only then that they draw the line. Once their transgressions are exposed, they’re sent to secluded locations where their past is unknown, while the others work to rebuild their reputation, all the while perpetuating their dishonest practices by abusing more children. That’s how I met my abuser.

Alfonso Quispe Gallegos was a Peruvian worker and I was just 5 years old when I met him. He had abused others before he had met me and I guess I was an easy target for him given the fact that I was a really happy sociable kid. My mother and I had just moved to one of these places far away from the city, she had chosen that place because it was quiet and nice, and also ironically because the workers were close to us and we could go to the meetings and engage with the community. We didn’t know he was hiding there from the atrocities he had done to others, and sadly that was the beginning of it. He groomed me first for over a year. He was never aggressive, unkind, or enraged; that’s one of the reasons I kept my silence. I considered him a friend and his actions seemed normal to me. When I turned six, my memories faded into being at the worker’s house, a common meeting place for all the workers in town. He held my hand and led me into a room. After that, my mind went blank, and I can’t recall anything more. It appears the experience was too distressing for me to remember, and a part of me wishes he had shown compassion and refrained from it. I was just a child and he was a sick twisted perverted person but there are sick twisted perverted people everywhere not just in our community, and it is up to the community how to handle this kind of situation once is outed. I stayed silent until I turned 17, and when I finally spoke up, I found myself regretting it. The aftermath was unexpectedly challenging. In 2016, my mother, determined to expose the truth, wrote a letter and shared it with friends, family, and Facebook groups. We thought we were the only victims and expected everyone to share our anger. She confided in the workers and the community, only to witness everything around us crumble in a surreal way.

The community’s response was disheartening. They urged her to stay silent, accused her of being a bad mother, and questioned why I hadn’t spoken up sooner or filed a police report. A worker named Ubaldina Saire even blamed me for spending time with him, insinuating that I wanted the abuse, even at the tender age of 5. Some workers claimed he admitted to it but expressed remorse, and they forgave him. I found it absurd that they could forgive a man who had harmed me so deeply. Despite that, he was told not to attend meetings until he “fixed” the situation. But how can you fix something like that? The emotional damage he inflicted would never be repaired, even if he wanted to make amends. Nevertheless, I turned 18 and I didn’t want to give up my faith. I loved being in the meetings, I was baptized when I was 12 years old even after everything that had happened because I wanted to. To maintain my connection to this sacred community, I joined a trip with all the workers for the annual meetings in Brazil. It was a delightful experience, and for a moment, everything felt like it would be okay. This was the sacred place where I belonged, or so I thought. However, on our way back, a female worker approached me and said: “Hey Zuly, I have to tell you this because I don’t want you to be uncomfortable. Once we land, Alfonso is going to be waiting for us because he is our designated driver”. It felt like a sudden slap in the face, leaving me shocked, confused, and incredibly vulnerable.

The man who had abused me seemed to have more value in the eyes of others because he owned a car and could drive them around. Despite being a known child sexual abuser, he freely associated with the workers, seemingly unconcerned about the consequences of his actions. Not having seen him for a long time, I was naturally fearful of the potential harm he could cause me. I couldn’t believe the workers would put me in such a vulnerable position, and this sense of betrayal shattered my trust. As a result, I eventually stopped attending the meetings. Friends and family who were aware of what had happened chose to pretend as if nothing occurred. My mother and I, feeling defeated, decided to move forward with our lives. Several years later, at the age of 22, my loyal grandmother, dedicated to The Truth, passed away. We all attended her funeral, including not just family but also friends from the meetings. To my dismay, the workers arrived accompanied by Alfonso, the man who had abused me. I had to take a stand and asked him to leave, outraged by his shameless presence at my grandmother’s funeral. My anger intensified because it wasn’t just him—why would they bring him here, knowing what he had done? It became a confrontation of myself against everyone, and the shock lingers to this day. Even when they hear other testimonies about child sexual abuse, their response is a casual “Yeah, I kind of knew,” accompanied by a shrug, as if it wasn’t a significant issue. In response, I chose to cut off all ties. To this day, Alfonso still attends the meetings, Ubaldina is a worker as well, and many other child sexual abusers play a role in the meetings.

The moment I stumbled upon the BBC article, it brought not only hope to myself but also to others. It sparked a collective courage to share testimonies that, much like mine, had been twisted, concealed, and silenced for too long. Now, these stories are resurfacing, determined to be remembered and told as they truly are, not as they were manipulated to appear ¿Remember when I said that my testimony meant nothing? Over the years, I’ve come to understand the deeper truth. It wasn’t just Alfonso; it ran much deeper. The overseers were involved, and many of them either participated actively or enabled such behavior. It turned out to be more extensive than I initially thought, a regrettable reality. These influential figures wield their power to suppress our voices. However, it’s crucial to remember they are not gods; there is only one God. Trying to assume such authority will inevitably backfire, as we can witness happening right now. As I read, they have tarnished the name of the congregation, it now seems like a big pedophile network, a cult instead of The Truth. For this very reason, I stand before you to recount my story once more, hopeful that this time will mark a true turning point. My desire is for a collective effort to unveil the truth, to expose the real adversary who lurks among us. My primary aim, however, is to share my testimony in its unaltered form, free from the distortions imposed upon it. As the saying goes, those who forget their history are bound to relive it. Let’s not forget! Let’s not conceal it! Knowledge wields great power, and now that we are armed with the truth, let’s reclaim our sacred ground and expel the wrongdoer who has shamelessly manipulated the name of God.

Zuly Pastrana

***

First posted at https://www.advocatesforthetruth.com/

WINGS Note:
See also Pamela’s story

Guest post from Pamela Quispe, a survivor from Peru

I am Pamela Quispe one of the many victims of child sexual abuse by the worker Americo Victor Quispe Gallegos, here in Peru of the congregation called “The Truth”. This is my story.

I was only 11 years old when I was sexually abused. He had recently arrived from the USA to Peru, oddly enough, after a 4-year “recovery” trip so that he would not rape any more girls. However, after having sexually abused several girls in that country he had returned to stay at my uncle’s house, as if nothing had happened. He attended the meetings, participated as a worker, preached the word of God, and had the authority to teach others even though the older workers knew what he had done in the USA, they were the ones who had provided the solution of sending him over there and they did nothing to prevent it from happening, nor did they inform the people who attended the meetings. Since that first time, I had to face 5 long years of abuse until I finally gathered the strength to tell my mother. She was the only one who believed me. The rest of the family refused to believe it, they said it was impossible because he was a worker of “The Truth” who read the Bible and practiced the word of God, he couldn’t commit such an atrocity, yet my mother did not leave my side and helped me to file the report even though I was a minor.

It was 10 years of relentless fighting, in which I was not alone, two victims from the USA came forward and stood by my side until the end. It was 10 years of anguish, of pain, remembering, reliving, recounting the facts over and over again to the judges, the hustle and bustle of going to hearing after hearing, coming face to face with my aggressor and even having to witness how others supported him by going to the hearings and stared at me with accusatory looks. I remember seeing how the worker Ubaldina Saire was his main supporter and I couldn’t help but wonder: How could a worker of “The Truth” cover up or be an accomplice to a rapist? How is she still allowed to be a worker to this day? The place I considered sacred, turned its back on me; however, despite everything, I never felt abandoned by God. His presence has been my constant comfort, guiding me even in the moments when I gave up.

In 2015, the judges dismissed all the evidence I presented, resulting in a favorable verdict for my aggressor. It was a painful day that led me to resign from the process, without seeking the annulment of the sentence. Years later, in 2019, a notification revived my determination. My case was reopened, and I decided to face the quest for justice once again. However, the experience repeated itself; the new judges did not consider any of my evidence, and the verdict favored my aggressor once more. Judicial opacity discouraged me, and I chose not to appeal the sentence, leaving things as they were. But that wouldn’t be the end. A year later, another notification from the Supreme Court arrived at my door, indicating that inconsistencies in the two previous verdicts had led to the reopening of the case. This time, justice finally prevailed. The judges took into account all the evidence I presented, including audios, psychological and psychiatric studies, and reports from the U.S., among others. After a long and challenging battle, my aggressor was finally sentenced to 35 years, proving that even though I did not file an appeal or take additional measures, the course of the process advanced inherently without my intervention, but rather through divine intervention.

As of today, I share my story through this platform to warn others about pedophiles disguised as workers. These criminals manipulate the teachings of God to commit their offenses, and such individuals rarely change if not ever. I raise my voice to protect others, as the senior workers do absolutely nothing to prevent it or to protect children. It infuriates me to know that they are the ones tarnishing the name of the congregation “The Truth” by concealing these pedophile cases; they are accomplices, enabling this behavior by turning a blind eye and pretending nothing happened. They relocate the offenders to places where no one knows them, exposing unsuspecting communities to the danger and trauma associated with these actions. By remaining silent, hiding the truth, and not informing or removing these so-called “workers” from their positions, they betray the trust placed in them. God said, “Take care of my sheep,” but is this how they interpret and fulfill that sacred responsibility? What about the well-being of the flock? What about the children? How many more victims will there be under their watch? I hold no shame in recounting my experience because it was not my fault; the responsibility lies with the perpetrator of the crime and those who enabled it. My message to everyone, especially fellow victims, is to speak out and refuse to stay silent. By sharing our stories, we prevent more victims of child sexual abuse within the congregation, and together, we can protect one another. Report your aggressors because their actions should not go unpunished. I am one of the victims who had the courage to report and seek justice. Although it took time, justice was ultimately achieved, and I attribute it all to the grace of God.

***

First posted at https://www.advocatesforthetruth.com/

WINGS Note:

The Americo situation goes back to 2008 when it first first entered the public sphere. Overseer Ray Hoffmann finally sent Americo home but praised him and abuser Ira Hobbs for all the good they did in the work (see quote below).  It was actually these incidents that precipitated the formation of WINGS in 2008.

It appears that the abuses relating to Americo described in this letter occurred before Americo was sent to the US, then sent back to South America with no action taken.  If so, it is a typical example of shifting these criminal workers around without taking any real action.

Here is Hoffmann’s letter:  https://wingsfortruth.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/rayhoffman-2pp2.pdf

This is the statement in Hoffmann’s letter that was very difficult for a lot of people:  
“We very much appreciate Ira’s guidance and help in every way the past 10 years in Texas. He has sought the Lord diligently and faithfully for your care. I have appreciated his help this year in getting me adjusted to the responsibilities here in Texas. The things that we have felt needful to discuss here is in no way to take away from all the good that Ira has done, nor of Americo.”

In January 2023, after reading a newspaper article exposing child-pornography and CSA within the fellowship, a woman (born & raised in the fellowship) came forward and disclosed her own experience of sexual assaults that occurred in both Terrace BC and Delta BC when she was a minor.

In May 2023 a victim statement was made with the RCMP which led to a thorough investigation of CSA allegations against Lee-Ann McChesney relating to conduct that occurred during her time in the work.

In November 2023 the investigation was completed and handed to Crown Counsel for charge assessment. After the Crown determined that there was enough evidence to charge, a warrant was issued on Jan 18, 2024 for the arrest of the Lee-Ann McChesney.

McChesney was arrested Tuesday January 23, 2024 on charges of Sexual Assault and Sexual Exploitation.

Details on the case can be found here:  Criminal Search BC with the search info: Lee-Ann McChesney. File number: 255436-1.

Criminal Code of Canada

Sexual exploitation

153 (1) Every person commits an offence who is in a position of trust or authority towards a young person, who is a person with whom the young person is in a relationship of dependency or who is in a relationship with a young person that is exploitative of the young person, and who

(a) for a sexual purpose, touches, directly or indirectly, with a part of the body or with an object, any part of the body of the young person; or

(b) for a sexual purpose, invites, counsels or incites a young person to touch, directly or indirectly, with a part of the body or with an object, the body of any person, including the body of the person who so invites, counsels or incites and the body of the young person.

Punishment

(1.1) Every person who commits an offence under subsection (1)

(a) is guilty of an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than 14 years and to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of one year; or

(b) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction and is liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than two years less a day and to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of 90 days.

Inference of sexual exploitation

(1.2) A judge may infer that a person is in a relationship with a young person that is exploitative of the young person from the nature and circumstances of the relationship, including

(a) the age of the young person;
(b) the age difference between the person and the young person;
(c) the evolution of the relationship; and
(d) the degree of control or influence by the person over the young person.

Definition of young person

(2) In this section, young person means a person 16 years of age or more but under the age of eighteen years.

Sexual assault

271 Everyone who commits a sexual assault is guilty of

(a) an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than 10 years or, if the complainant is under the age of 16 years, to imprisonment for a term of not more than 14 years and to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of one year; or

(b) an offence punishable on summary conviction and is liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than 18 months or, if the complainant is under the age of 16 years, to imprisonment for a term of not more than two years less a day and to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of six months.