Molester Messiah

Originally published by The Associated Press, April 23rd, 2004

ATLANTA — The leader of a quasi-religious sect founded in Brooklyn was sentenced yesterday to 135 years in prison for molesting boys and girls at the group's ancient Egyptian-style compound in Georgia.

Malachi York, the 58-year-old master teacher of the United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors, also will have to forfeit the 476-acre Georgia compound, adorned with pyramids and a sphinx.

He was convicted in January of child molestation and racketeering after a trial in which 14 boys and girls from the sect said York molested them from 1998 to 2002.

"We're very pleased with the sentence," U.S. Attorney Max Wood said.

The sect was founded as a Muslim commune in Brooklyn in 1967 and moved to Eatonton, Ga., in 1993, where York set himself up as a messiah figure.

Prosecutors said he recruited older girls to groom younger girls for sex with him.

If girls pleased York, they got prizes such as diamond rings from Wal-Mart or trips to a restaurant, witnesses testified. If they angered him, their food was rationed and they had to fill out forms for necessities such as sanitary napkins and doctor's visits.

York's attorney, Adrian Patrick, had argued that York was framed by his own son for refusing to fund the son's musical career. The defense also had argued that the government was out to get the mostly black sect because its beliefs were outside the mainstream.

York incorporated Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Egyptian mysticism and space aliens into his teachings.

Earlier this month, Kathy Johnson, York's "main wife," was sentenced to two years in prison and 18 years of probation for child molestation.