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	Woman Describes Bedroom "Exorcism" Fox 5 July 8, 2009 http://www.fox5vegas.com/news/19991255/detail.html * Video: Church Member Talks 'Exorcism' Vegas 'Prophet' Accused Of Molesting Followers LAS VEGAS -- An attorney for a self-proclaimed Las Vegas prophet said his client is being hospitalized and couldn’t be in court to face charges of sexually assaulting parishioners. At the same time, a woman who attended Benito Catello’s church is speaking out about the power he held over his members and what she witnessed behind closed doors. The woman, who did not want to be identified, contacted FOX5 to tell her story after Catello was arrested. She met him in the summer of 2002 when a friend invited her to Catello’s home to talk about religion. Catello is charged with 27 counts of sexual assault and lewdness. His attorney entered a not guilty plea in court Wednesday morning. Police said the 75-year-old operated a non-denominational Christian church called The Ministry. It’s membership was comprised of entire families, with some members living with Catello at his Las Vegas home. “He told me I was special,” said the woman, who is now 24 years old. At first, she said she felt accepted by Catello and his followers. That, in turn, reinforced her beliefs and made her faith stronger, she said. All that took a turn the day she said Catello took her into a bedroom to perform what was described as an “exorcism.” “He said I needed to have demons taken out of me," she said. Catello, she said, told her to lie down on the bed and close her eyes. “I heard him unzip his pants or something," she said. The woman would not go into further details about the incident. But looking back on it now, she said she felt “warped” into Catello’s world and became enamored by him. Her parents soon became worried and stopped her from seeing him again. “My dad would not let me go back there," she said. “He said, ‘Your mom is scared. What is going on with you? What is wrong?’ He wouldn’t let me call him. I guess ‘papa’ had called me." Police said Catello’s followers called him “papa,” and he called them his “sheep.” Alleged victims who claim they were abused by Catello told police they were threatened with excommunication and manipulated into doing what he asked. “I would have gone that far, would have easily listened to everything he said, been the best follower," the woman said about her experience with Catello. She has not yet told her story to police, although she plans to now that Catello’s been arrested. She is encouraging other members of The Ministry church to do the same. “Come forward. Tell people what happened. Don't be afraid," she said.
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