Officials say a California cult leader has been sentenced to more than 200 years for sexually assaulting his followers.
Sansue Bee Vang, a 58-year-old from Oroville, received a life sentence on Tuesday after a jury found him guilty of molesting four young girls and raping two women from his congregation, according to a press release from the Butte County District Attorney’s Office.
Vang led a Hmong religious organization called Kev Ntseeg Leej Niam Kee Tiam Vaj Lis Thum, which loosely translates to “Belief in the Mother.”
In 2024, an 11-year-old girl and her mother accused Vang of sexual assault. As investigators looked into the cult leader, four more women came forward with their own allegations of sexual abuse.
Following a week-long trial in February, a jury convicted Vang on eight counts of child molestation and three counts of rape.
Supervising Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Bennet, who prosecuted the case, said at Vang’s trial that he used his cult to exploit the power he imagined for himself and used the organization’s structure to silence the women for years before they found the courage to come forward, according to the press release.
At his sentencing hearing, five of Vang’s six victims spoke about how the sexual abuse they endured continues to impact their mental health and familial relationships.
Vang will serve 225 years to life, the maximum sentence allowed by law. However, because of his age, he will become eligible for elder parole in 20 years. The court also ordered him to register as a sex offender.
The trial revealed that Vang molested one child five times when she was between the ages of eight and 10 years old. The girl said Vang threatened to beat her if she told anyone about the abuse.
Vang also raped a woman at her home twice and threatened to harm her and her family if she reported the assaults, according to court testimony.
Three more women testified that, when they were between the ages of six and 12 years old, Vang repeatedly touched them, commented on their figures, and told them he would marry them one day during religious ceremonies they were required to attend, the DA’s office said.
The sixth victim told the court that when she was around 19 or 20 years old, Vang told her she had to have sex with him or terrible things would happen to her family and community.
Vang’s attorney claimed during the trial that all the victims were lying or mistaken about his client’s intent.
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