Alleged cult member arrested, another to be returned

WWLTV.com ^ | 05/24/05 | Associated Press

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HAMMOND -- Police have arrested the last person named so far in warrants accusing them of being part of a cult which had sex with children and animals, but a dozen or more additional people could be involved, authorities say.

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Could this be members of the gang of 14, BTW is they want to return to the traditions of the senate, can we get caning back in vogue?

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Investigators were using digging equipment and cadaver dogs to search the grounds of the Hosanna Church compound in Ponchatoula Tuesday, according to WDSU NewsChannel 6 reporter Ed Reams. They would not say what they were looking for.

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HAMMOND -- Police have arrested the last person named so far in warrants accusing them of being part of a cult which had sex with children and animals, but a dozen or more additional people could be involved, authorities say.

FBI agents and East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff's deputies arrested Patricia "Trish" Pierson, 54, when she arrived at the Baton Rouge Municipal Airport on a flight from Tulsa, Okla., said Laura Covington, a spokeswoman for the Tangipahoa Parish sheriff.

Pierson was arrested as a fugitive and then transferred to Tangipahoa Parish, where she was booked on charges of sexual battery and principal to aggravated rape, Covington said.

Another woman, Nicole Bernard, wanted on a charge of aggravated rape, waived extradition Tuesday in Ohio's Franklin County Common Pleas Court, and will likely return to Louisiana within 10 days, authorities said.

Her ex-husband, Austin Aaron Bernard, 36, was arrested May 17 on a charge accusing him of making a girl under the age of 13 perform a sex act.

Seven of the eight people arrested, including Pierson's husband, Allen R. Pierson, remain in jail without bail because they are accused of capital offenses, Covington said.

Lois Ann Mowbray, 54, of Ponchatoula, was released on $150,000 bond May 20, Covington said. She was arrested on counts of obstruction of justice and failure to report a felony.

The nine people arrested are believed to be the central figures in the alleged cult. Other arrests could come later. Detectives are interested in 12 to 15 people allegedly connected to the case, Covington said.

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FBI Digging Up Evidence Where Alleged Sex Cult Operated

One of the people arrested in the alleged sex cult centering around a church near Ponchatoula tells police she has proof that she and other cult members sexually assaulted a little girl since birth. That's according to warrants out of Columbus, Ohio.

36-year-old Nicole Bernard went on to tell police she and other church members engaged in satanic worship, which included the rape of children. Bernard told authorities she has videotapes belonging to the church, tapes which FBI agents believe have evidence of the sexual activity.

Meanwhile, the FBI sent in its equivalent of crime scene investigators to the Hosanna church on Tuesday to literally dig for evidence. FBI agents carried out a section of carpet they dug up out of the ground behind Hosanna Church. Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Edward Daniels says they're not working on a tip, but working in a part of the church grounds where it appears members buried something.

"Certainly, if we found any evidence of sacrifice or the rituals or anything like that, we would take any of those items into evidence as well," says Edwards.

Donnie Moore manages the Winner's Circle tire store next door to the church. He says he discovered lots of potential evidence when he walked where these agents are digging. "I found a bunch of clothing and computers and old desks from the pre-school, and other stuff that used to be there."

Speaking of computers, Sheriff Edwards says FBI agents are done analyzing some computers from the church, and they did find images of child pornography. Edwards says, "We can compare these images to the list of victims that we know of to see if any of them match up."

This comes as the list of arrested suspects increases. Baton Rouge police took 54-year-old Trish Pierson into custody at Baton Rouge Metro Airport Monday night. Sheriff Edwards says she's charged with sexual battery and principle to aggravated rape.

36-year-old Nicole Bernard will also soon be in the custody of Tangipahoa deputies. Bernard appeared in a Columbus, Ohio courtroom on Tuesday where she waived extradition to Louisiana. She is also facing an aggravated rape charge, and would put the list of total suspects detectives named in this case up to nine.

The documents out of Ohio say the sexual abuse stopped two years ago when the pedophile ring disbanded. Sheriff Edwards says it's very possible there will be more arrests in this case, and more charges brought against those already in custody.

Reporter: Avery Davidson

http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=3387762