Cult leader guilty of molesting, raping followers in Northern California
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BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. — A Butte County jury found a religious cult leader guilty of molesting young girls and raping women who were members of his group and now faces life in state prison, the Butte County District Attorney’s Office said.
Sansue Bee Vang, 58, of Oroville, was convicted after a seven-day trial of multiple counts of child molestation and three counts of rape, the District Attorney’s office said.
The case began in 2024, when an 11-year-old girl and her mother reported being sexually assaulted by Vang. The investigation led four more women to come forward with similar accusations, according to the DA.
District Attorney Mike Ramsey said Vang founded and led a Hmong religious organization called “Kev Ntseeg Leej Niam Kee Tiam Vaj Lis Thum,” meaning “Belief in the Mother,” in Appleton, Wis., before moving to Fresno in 2015. In 2020, Vang selected families from Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Carolina and Fresno to move to Oroville to build a temple and religious community at the base of Table Mountain. He said Vang was viewed by followers as a prophet and created the group’s teachings and rules.
Prosecutors said all six victims were members of the organization at the time of the assaults. Testimony showed Vang abused one child repeatedly over several years and threatened harm if she told anyone. Other women testified that Vang used his position to force or pressure them into sexual acts.
Vang did not testify. His attorney argued the victims were lying or misunderstood his actions.
Vang remains in the Butte County Jail without bail. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14, 2026, in Butte County Superior Court and faces a possible life sentence.
Content retrieved from: https://krcrtv.com/news/local/cult-leader-guilty-of-molesting-raping-followers-in-northern-california.
