05/08/2026
Not surprised. It’s so easy for predators to ‘hide’ by participating in religious groups. Who would believe such a devout person would do such a thing?
Me. I believe it.
Daniel Savala, a former missionary whose influence inside an Assemblies of God-run college ministry persisted for years despite repeated warnings about his predatory behavior, pleaded guilty to charges that he s*xually abused two boys.
Last year, an NBC News investigation found that leaders in the Assemblies of God, the world’s largest Pentecostal denomination, were warned again and again about Savala’s history but failed to cut off his access to students in Texas — even after a 2012 child s*x abuse conviction in Alaska.
Behind that image was a secretive ministry built around a backyard sauna, where Savala invoked scripture to persuade boys and young men to undress, preaching that “nudity is unity” and blurring the line between spiritual mentoring and s*xual exploitation, according to his accusers and former followers.
Savala’s plea carried weight for a broader group of accusers and whistleblowers, some of whom attended the hearing and saw the conviction as the culmination of decades of alleged abuse and years of ignored warnings.
Read more into the investigation: nbcnews.to/4u0Pk6b
