| La Luz del Mundo
Church Leader in SDNY for
Sadistic Abuse Videos US
Protective Order OKd
by
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book
Substack
SDNY
COURTHOUSE,
Oct 23 – Back on September 10,
DOJ charged NAASÓN JOAQUÍN
GARCÍA and others with
"sexual, financial, and
related criminal conduct
victimizing members of the La
Luz del Mundo Church over many
years... to facilitate
the systemic sexual abuse of
children and women—including
the creation of photos and
videos of sadistic child
sexual abuse."
Garcia was
taken into Federal custody in
California and transported to
New York on September 18. On
September 23, with two
California-based lawyers next
to him, Garcia was brought
before U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of New
York Judge Loretta A. Preska.
Inner City Press was there,
from thread:
Judge Preska:
What is the status of
discovery?
AUSA: We got
warrants in California, and
seized electronics.
Judge: Mr.
Garcia, we will next see you
here on December 15
[Judge
Preska also handed Giuffre v
Ghislaine Maxwell]
On October 10 the
US Attorney's Office proposed
a protective order beyond what
Naason Joaquin Garcia would
agree to, letter on Patreon here
On October 16, a
co-defendant pled not guilty:
"Arraignment as to Eva Garcia
De Joaquin (4) The defendant
is presented and arraigned on
the indictment and enters a
plea of not guilty."
On October 17
counsel to Naason complained
to Judge Preska about the
proposed protective order,
saying they wouldn't be able
to share information with
Naason and that they
want to share it with
witnesses in foreign
countries. Email on Patreon here
On October 23
Judge Preska OK-ed the US
order: "ORDER as to
(25-Cr-370-1) Naason Joaquin
Garcia. The Court is in
receipt of the following
documents: (1) the
Government's October 10, 2025
motion requesting that the
Court enter the attached
proposed protective order,
(dkt. no. 30); (2) Defendant
Naason Garcia's(See Footnote 1
on this Order) October 17,
2025 opposition, (dkt. no.
32); and (3) the Government's
October 20, 2025 reply, (dkt.
no. 33). Defendant opposes the
motion arguing that the
"Attorney's Eyes Only" ("AEO")
provision would infringe on
Defendant's Sixth Amendment
rights by prohibiting counsel
from discussing certain
discovery with his client.
(See generally dkt. no. 32.)
Defendant asks the Court to
amend the proposed protective
order by: (1) deleting the
phrase "or the content of the
AEO Material" from Paragraph 9
and (2) adding to the
paragraph: "Nothing in this
paragraph shall limit the
right of defense counsel to
discuss with defendants the
contents or substance of any
evidence in this case for the
purpose of preparing the
defense case." (Dkt. no. 32 at
9.) Notably, the proposed
protective order is standard
practice in this district.
(See, e.g., dkt. no. 63,
United States v. Ho Wan Kwok,
23 Cr. 118 (AT) (S.D.N.Y. May
4, 2023) (entering protective
order that included AEO
provision over the same Sixth
Amendment objection).)
Additionally, Defendant's
objections are unripe. The
proposed protective order
establishes a protocol for the
parties to resolve any
AEO-designation disputes. It
is premature now, before
discovery has been produced,
for the Court to rule on how
Defendant's Sixth Amendment
arguments and the Government's
substantial witness safety,
obstruction, and privacy
concerns interact to resolve
purely theoretical disputes
about AEO designations.
Accordingly, the Government's
motion is GRANTED. The Court
enters the attached protective
order. The Clerk of the Court
shall close dkt. no. 30. SO
ORDERED. (Signed by Judge
Loretta A. Preska on
10/23/2025)
More on X for
Subscribers here
and Substack here
The case is USA
v. Garcia, et al., 25-cr-370
(Preska)
***
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