church elder of secretive child abusing christian church sentenced to life in prison. women had ENOUGH!

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

https://chatelaine.com/longforms/2x2s-abuse/

But now, a cohort of both current and ex-members have gathered online to demand change. A reckoning is underway: Survivors have come forward with their stories, speaking publicly about their abusers. Their testimonies have captured the attention of the FBI, which in February 2024 launched an investigation into the rampant abuse perpetrated by 2x2 leaders. Historically, women have largely been the victims of this patriarchal sect. But now, they’re standing up and saying enough is enough.


https://abcnews.go.com/US/member-secretive-christian-sect-sentenced-120-years-prison/story?id=116460154



Member of secretive Christian sect sentenced to 120 years in prison

An ABC News yearlong investigation into the 2x2 Church, a Christian sect so secretive most people have never heard of it, has uncovered allegations of widespread child sexual abuse and subsequent coverups.

During the investigation, ABC News spoke with dozens of alleged victims of child sexual abuse across more than 30 states.


Raymond Zwiefelhofer was convicted of 10 counts of possessing child sexual abuse material and was sentenced to 120 years in prison last month.

As part of the ongoing investigation by law enforcement, Raymond Zwiefelhofer was convicted of 10 counts of possessing child sexual abuse material and was sentenced to 120 years in prison last month.

“In total, there were 87 files that were determined to be child sexual abuse material or sometimes known as child pornography,” Catherine Fu, a Maricopa Deputy County Attorney, told ABC News. “The 10 charged files were a combination of photos and videos, and they were all depicting children under the age of 15 engaged in either exploitive exhibition or sexual conduct.”

Zwiefelhofer, 61, maintains his innocence.

How I Survived An Ultra-Secretive Christian Sect
For decades, members of the so-called 2x2s experienced abuse at the hands of those in power. Now, they’re telling their stories—and I’m telling mine, too.

I HAD MY FIRST PANIC ATTACK inside a massive white tent while surrounded by hundreds of members of a church with no name. A bead of sweat dripped down my back. I was 17, and my red flip phone was hidden in the pocket of the shawl that covered my bare shoulders. The preacher droned on about salvation and deliverance from damnation. My father sat beside me in a full suit, seemingly unaffected by the summer humidity. On the other side of me, my grandmother nodded her head, meeting my eyes briefly and willing me to soak up the preacher’s words. I could feel my heartbeat in my throat, like a hummingbird fighting to get free. “I am not good enough,” I thought. If I didn’t follow the church’s teachings, I was destined to spend eternity in hell.

A breeze rustled the tent slightly, and I noticed a gap in the fabric—just large enough for a small person to squeeze through. My chest felt tight and my vision blurred. I lunged toward the gap and quickly crawled through the hole, nudging my hips until I was freed from the stifling tent. I didn’t look back, afraid I’d catch a shadow of disappointment on my father’s or grandmother’s face.

My family has been part of an ultra-secretive Christian sect for nearly a century. Every year, my grandmother would attend the sect’s annual community gathering, a four-day-long event in rural Ontario. The gathering, called “convention,” is a way for members to meet with each other and listen to speakers. Conventions across the globe are hosted by approved families who offer up their property for members to set up their sea of tents and trailers. Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of members of the insular group attend.



https://chatelaine.com/longforms/2x2s-abuse/