50-year-old Jesus Manuel Cano was arrested in Middletown, NY on Monday. As one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Cano would have regularly engaged in distributing Watchtower literature however on the day of his arrest Cano was passing out pamphlets that included graphic pictures of himself, such as the one pictured to the right. According to Police, Cano had given the pictures along with his cell phone number to young boys in Middletown in order to lure them into sexual encounters. After receiving one such phamplet a boy gave it to his parents who immediately called the police. A police officer then contacted Cano posing as a 15-year-old boy and arranged a meeting where he was arrested.
Found in Cano's car at the time of the arrest was two cold cans of beer, condoms, and petroleum jelly. Also discovered were photographs of boys and a shocking videotape that Cano apparently took of men and boys using urinals in the Chicago O'Hare International Airport. On Cano's person was an ID card verifying that he was a member of Bethel, the World Headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses in New York.
Afterwards police conducted an overnight raid of Cano's home at Bethel's, "Watchtower Farm" printery and farm facility in Walkhill, NY. They were directed by Cano's roommate to his living area where they retrieved four computers, hundreds of photographs, memory sticks, and DVD's including one labeled Chicago O'Hare Airport. Police reported that it will take days to look through the thousands of images that have been recovered.J.R. Brown, Organizational Spokesman for Jehovah's Witnesses, comfirmed that Cano was a minister of Jehovah's Witnesses serving as an elder at Bethel and also in the Newburg, NY congregation. Cano had been a member of the Bethel family for 16-years until Monday when he was removed from the Bethel family and as an elder.
Police have commented that they now suspect that Cano allegedly took pornographic photos of children while traveling throughout the US and South America in his activities as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Bethel elders, such as Cano, are often used as guest speakers at Watchtower conventions and Witness assembly days throughout the world. The investigation has extended to the Caribbean. Police theorize the pictures may be part of an international child pornography ring.
--
The original news story and news video clip can be found at CBS Chicago's web-site: Man Allegedly Videotaped Boys In Airport Bathrooms - Jehovah's Witness Minister In Custody In New York
Dear Granny,
ReplyDeleteThank you.
"You are my witnesses," is the utterance of Jehovah - Isaiah 43:10
Since it is our Heavenly Father who calls us his witnesses, we ask who are mere men to strip us our right to be called by His Name?
It is true that I have been df'd from the Watchtower organization but they cannot take away my witness to Jehovah. They have no authority to do so.
I am still one of Jehovah's Witnesses - no matter what the organization believes.