The Cult News Network

South Korean ex-first lady sentenced to 7 years for bribery scandal

Published June 27, 2026 By admin

Categorized as Uncategorized Tagged criminal conviction, cults, Kim Keon Hee, prison sentence, South Korea, Unification Church

SEOUL, South Korea — The wife of ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to seven years in prison Friday after a court convicted her of accepting luxury gifts from businesspeople and others seeking political and business favors.…[Continue Reading...]

Polygamous sect leader convicted of abuse charges after girls found in trailer

Published June 27, 2026 By admin

Categorized as Cult Crimes Tagged Arizona, criminal conviction, cult leader, Polygamist cult, Samuel Bateman

PHOENIX -- A polygamous sect leader already serving a 50-year federal prison sentence for orchestrating sex involving children was convicted Friday on state child abuse charges after girls were found in an unventilated trailer he was hauling through Arizona. Someone…[Continue Reading...]

Inside the Wild Branch Ministries: How a Hollywood Star Lost KES 260 Million to an Alleged Cult

Published June 26, 2026 By admin

Categorized as Uncategorized Tagged Bethany Joy Lenz, cult leader, cults, Michael Galeotti Sr., survivor story, Wild Branch Ministtries

Michael Galeotti Sr., a former United States Marine turned religious leader, finds himself at the centre of an explosive cultural reckoning following the publication of a bombshell memoir by Hollywood actress Bethany Joy Lenz. The founder of Wild Branch Christian…[Continue Reading...]

Witness Details Horrific Starvation of Six Children in Shakahola Cult Trial

Published June 26, 2026 By admin

Categorized as Cult Crimes Tagged criminal trial, cults, Good News International Church, Kenya, starvation deaths, testimony

A star witness in the crimes against humanity trial facing controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie has delivered chilling testimony in court, recounting the systematic starvation and subsequent deaths of his six children. The harrowing account detailed how the minors were subjected…[Continue Reading...]

A Japanese doomsday cult bought a million-acre Australian sheep ranch to test sarin gas

Published June 26, 2026 By admin

Categorized as Cult Crimes Tagged Aum Shinrikyo, Australia, cults, Sarin gas attack

In April 1993, Aum Shinrikyo — the cult that would gas the Tokyo subway two years later — purchased Banjawarn Station, a remote sheep ranch covering 404,680 hectares (about a million acres) in Western Australia, 500 miles northeast of Perth.…[Continue Reading...]

Clearwater City Council candidate loses endorsement over Garden Avenue fallout — A recent City Council vote on a request from the Church of Scientology has stirred up campaign drama.

Published June 26, 2026 By admin

Categorized as Uncategorized Tagged Clearwater, controversy, Florida, real estate, Scientologists, Scientology

A Clearwater City Council member rescinded his endorsement of a candidate after a tense back-and-forth with her husband, a Pinellas County commissioner, about the council’s vote last week to give a stretch of public roadway to the Church of Scientology.…[Continue Reading...]

Kenyan preacher captured on camera beating up his congregants like kids for staying outside during church service – Brainwashing is real (VIDEO)

Published June 25, 2026 By admin

Categorized as Cult Crimes, Cult TV Tagged cult leader, cults, Good News International Church, Kenya, Paul Mackenzie, physical abuse, video

Wednesday, June 24, 2026 - A preacher who runs a private church was captured on camera confronting congregants who were sitting outside while a church service was ongoing.Demographics In the clip, the pastor is seen abruptly leaving the church mid-service…[Continue Reading...]

Leader of secretive South Korean church arrested in election influence investigation

Published June 25, 2026 By admin

Categorized as Cult Crimes, Cult TV Tagged arrested, cult leader, cults, Lee Man-Hee, Shincheonji, South Korea

SEOUL, South Korea -- The leader of a secretive South Korean church was arrested Wednesday as authorities widened an investigation into allegations that he illegally recruited thousands of followers into the conservative People Power Party to influence elections. The Shincheonji…[Continue Reading...]

Will AI Increase or Decrease Conspiracy Theory Beliefs?

Published June 25, 2026 By admin

Categorized as Uncategorized Tagged AI, artificial intelligence, conspirach theory, conspiracy theories

Key points Several studies have demonstrated that AI chatbots can be trained to decrease conspiracy theory belief. However, other research has shown that AI chatbots can increase belief in conspiracy theories. The effects of LLMs on conspiracy beliefs matters less…[Continue Reading...]

Clearwater officially gives downtown street to Scientology

Published June 25, 2026 By admin

Categorized as Uncategorized Tagged City Council vote, Clearwater, Florida, real estate, Scientologists, Scientology

After Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector hit the gavel to end a City Council meeting Thursday evening, the audience in the Clearwater Main Library erupted in applause and cheers. Scientology members had lined up outside the library several hours before the…[Continue Reading...]