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	Tony Alamo Convicted of Taking Girls out of State for Sex By Russell Jones KFSM July 24, 2009 http://www.kfsm.com/kfsm-news-tony-alamo-convicted,0,6636570.story TEXARKANA, Ark. - A jury has found the controversial Christian evangelist Tony Alamo guilty of all ten charges that he took young girls across state lines for sex. "I'm just another one of the prophets that went to jail for the Gospel," he yelled as he was put into a car by U. S. Marshals. The jury deliberated for more than eight hours Thursday, then returned their decision around 10:30, finding Alamo guilty of ten violations of the Mann Act, a more than 100-year-old law that prohibits the interstate trafficking of minors for sex. "These girls have been victimized since some of them were just young, young girls," said lead prosecutor Kyra Jenner after the trial. "For them to get vindication and the affirmation that the jury gave to them today is a huge sense of relief for them." Alamo's defense attorneys argued that the girls were taken to work in churches in other states, and that the prosecutors strayed from the specific charges, presenting material just meant to inflame the jury against their client. Alamo himself had denied the charges, saying they were part of a Vatican-led conspiracy against his ministry. He never testified in his own defense, on the advice of his attorneys, and slept through part of Jenner's closing argument for the prosecution. The trial now enters the sentencing phase, which could take six to eight weeks to begin. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10, 15, or 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine each. 5NEWS called the Alamo Christian Ministries church in Fort Smith after the verdict was announced, but were told the church would not be making any statements at this time. "Nothing could describe the joy I felt in my heart, nothing whatsoever," said Claudia Kochisdringov, a former follower of Alamo's. "It was just one of the happiest moments of my entire life, to see this."
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