Sex trafficking warrant served at L.A. home owned by alleged ‘TikTok Cult' pastor
El Monte Police Department officials confirmed to KTLA that authorities served the search warrant around 6 a.m. at a home located at 7744 McGroarty St.
In addition to sex trafficking, the warrant was also issued for allegations of tax evasion, mail fraud, money laundering and COVID-19 pandemic-related accusations, which were not specified by law enforcement.
Sky5 was overhead around 6:45 a.m., when FBI personnel were seen investigating the large residence and speaking with people at the scene, including possible victims or witnesses.
At least six people were seen detained with handcuffs, including an older woman who, unlike the other detainees on the ground, was sitting in a chair with her legs covered under a blanket. Another woman was seen sitting on an outdoor couch, wiping her eyes while clutching a child wrapped in a blanket on her lap.
Police did not immediately say whether anyone was arrested during the service of this warrant.
A property records search for the home listed six current owners, including Robert Shinn, who was the subject of Netflix's 'Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult.' A source involved in the series confirmed to KTLA that the property involved in this search warrant was the same property at the center of the series.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Shinn, founder of and pastor for Shekinah Church, also founded a company called 7M Films in 2021 'to help social media stars and TikTok dancers find jobs in L.A.'
The 2024 miniseries examines the story, lawsuits and abusive cult allegations surrounding the Shekinah Church and 7M Films. The media focus was largely brought forth by two different sets of sisters who worked with Shinn: influencers Melanie Wilking and Miranda Derrick (formerly Wilking), and Melanie and Priscylla Lee.
A summary from a 2024 Time article described the series as revealing 'claims from multiple former 7M members about how Shinn abused and manipulated them and created a cult-like environment.' No sexual assault charges were brought against him.
Although Shinn did not personally reply to the Netflix series, the L.A. Times noted that his company, 7M, replied through an Instagram post calling the docuseries a 'slanderous work of fiction, born from a failed extortion attempt.' The post concluded by saying, 'We will continue to pursue all legal remedies available to stop the spread of salacious lies and expect to be fully vindicated in court.'
According to CNN, Shinn filed a defamation suit against several former church members, claiming they made 'false statements' referring to his organization as a cult, and that they launched a campaign to 'cancel' him. The defendants then joined a cross-complaint with other former church members, claiming Shinn, his wife and others of 'fraud, forced labor and human trafficking, as well as Robert of sexual battery.'
In addition, the L.A. Times reported that this countersuit against Shinn alleges 'brainwashing, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, manipulation and exploitation.'
The case was scheduled to go to trial on July 7 in Los Angeles, however, the defendants' attorney group has since confirmed to KTLA that the trial is now set to begin on October 27.
'Regarding the search warrant, we are gratified that the federal government is investigating Robert Shinn and look forward to our clients and his victims receiving the justice they deserve,' stated a partner with Brown Neri Smith & Khan, LLP.
Authorities did not state any connections between Friday's search warrant operation and the docuseries controversy.
Nidia Becerra, Alexis Lewis, Alberto Mendez and Jennifer Thang contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Buzz Feed
25 minutes ago
- Buzz Feed
25 Products With Super Satisfying Results
A mascara for lashes so dramatic, no one will believe you when you tell them you bought it for less than $5 on Amazon. No need to spend hours wrestling with falsies to get the long lashes of your dreams. Reviewers also rave that this lasts all day. Thank goodness! You have better things to do than re-apply throughout the day. A set of acne patches you can apply over a popped whitehead. Simply put the patch over a zit, let it sit overnight or throughout the day, peel it off, and watch it take all the pore-clogging gunk with it. A mold and mildew removal gel that is seriously so easy to use, you'll wonder why you put off cleaning away those eyesore stains in your shower for so long!!! All you have to do is squeeze this over the spots you're looking to fix up, let it sit overnight, and allow it to work its magic! Pretty sure this is concocted with fairy pixie dust. A Dawn Powerwash dish spray capable of cutting through grease five times faster than regular dish soap. Now, you can spend less time doing the dishes and more time watching Love Island: Beyond the Villa as you digest your dinner. Compound W One Step Pads for applying to plantar warts — they just look like bandages, but really, they're working hard to remove those stubborn little guys. Just stick one on and go about your day while the salicylic acid gets to work behind the scenes — it's like a tiny undercover agent for your feet. How's that for low-effort wart removal? The Pink Stuff, a TikTok-famous cleaning product so good, you'll be tempted to part ways with every other cleaning product you own. Seriously, this amazing stuff can be used on a plethora of household items and surfaces (both indoors and outdoors). A callus-removal gel so you can experience the baby-soft feet you not only want but truly deserve. Soak your feet for two to three minutes in hot water, dry them, and apply a generous layer of the gel to your calloused feet. Then let it sit for three minutes, wipe it off, use a foot scrubber of your choice, and bam — dead skin be gone. A pet hair remover you simply swipe over surfaces covered in hair from your furry bestie. It saves more time (and is a heck of a lot easier) than fussing around with a vacuum and lint rollers! Dishwasher cleaning tablets so the machine you rely on to clean the things you use to eat isn't gunking them up even more. These tablets remove odor-causing residue and help get rid of lime and mineral build-up that naturally occurs inside dishwashers. A bottle of nail and cuticle care oil you'll wish you'd bought sooner. With consistent use over time, this incredible solution helps make your nails look fresh and healthy. Evidence of a once-bad biting habit combined with questionable at-home manicure decisions, begone! A vitamin C serum crafted with an A-list roster of skincare ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, salicylic acid, and retinol. It can be used to help treat acne, brighten complexion, reduce the appearance of dark spots, and hydrate thirsty skin. A butt acne-clearing lotion because, yes, acne on the derriere *is* a thing, and if you're reading this thinking you were alone in this struggle, we're here to remind you, you're not. Enter this product, made with pure plant extracts like Australian tea oil, to help target the root of this annoyance on your booty and help kick it in the ~behind~. An oven cleaning spray so next time you open the oven door and pop in dinner, you're not tempted to puke all over it because of the yucky buildup you've let your oven accumulate. A bug bite suction tool to help get rid of itchy bites. Because walking around with bumpy bites and the need to itch them 24/7 is never fun. Kinda rude that little buggies get to munch on our skin and blood, and we have to deal with the consequences after. An aftercare oil that may help reduce the appearance of keloids, bumps, and scars associated with new and old piercings. An aloe and coconut oil after-sun soothing cream because I'm going to make a fair assumption that since it's summer, you're spending more time outside, which means an increased risk of burns. Listen, I trust that you're being smart and protecting yourself from Mr. Golden Sun, but inevitable happens. This stuff will help hydrate your skin afterwards and leave it feeling refreshed, moisturized, and itch-free post-burn. Cleaning tablets that'll make you realize the important task of sanitizing your retainer, dentures, night guard, or any other dental appliances you use can be quick and easy. Simply drop a tablet and your dental appliance into warm water and let it soak! A hairbrush cleaning tool because in the long run, it'll be a heck of a lot cheaper to get rid of the combo of hair, dust, and fluff residing between the bristles than it will be to keep buying new hairbrushes. Water bottle cleaning tablets to get your beloved drinking bottle back to the condition it was in when you first fell in love with it at the store. I, for one, don't feel like taking a brush and soap and scrubbing away, and I'm going to make the assumption that you don't want to either. A shoe stretch spray because you spent too much on those cute pair of boots that have been sitting in your closet alone and abandoned for months, even years now. Time to dust those babies off and show them to the world! Bio-Oil, a skincare oil to help reduce the appearance of scars left behind by acne, pregnancy, injuries, or surgeries, thanks to a powerful (but gentle) combo of vitamin A oil, vitamin E oil, sunflower oil, lavender oil, and chamomile oil. A pumice toilet bowl ring remover so you can easily scratch away at those yucky stains without leaving behind scratch marks in the bowl. A stain and odor remover because those messes and unpleasant smells left behind by your fur babies are no match for its cleaning powers. An immaculately clean carpet AND a wonderful snuggle buddy? Yes, you can have both! A fabric defuzzer you'll just glide over an area of clothing/furniture that's covered in unwanted fuzzies. A makeup brush cleansing shampoo to clean those things you use to apply cosmetics to your precious FACE. Because makeup buildup is yucky, and we don't want you to have to spend money on new brushes and sponges!
The Verge
26 minutes ago
- The Verge
IGN hit by layoffs as parent company Ziff Davis cuts costs
Ziff Davis-owned IGN Entertainment has laid off staff, including eight members of the IGN Creators Guild. Those cuts represent 12 percent of the bargaining unit. The layoffs are the latest shift in the turbulent gaming media landscape. Earlier this year, Verge parent company Vox Media sold Polygon to GameRant owner Valnet, Giant Bomb went independent, and Game Informer returned after being shut down by GameStop. Last week, Ziff Davis also laid off staff at CNET. Laid off IGN staffers include former senior features editor Matt Kim and video editor Chelsea Miller, but no single department was primarily targeted by the cuts, Rebekah Valentine, IGN senior reporter and co-chair of the guild, tells The Verge. 'It was largely single individuals from different departments.' 'The company has told us that the reason for this layoff stems from a Ziff Davis-mandate to cut costs despite several quarters in a row of year-over-year revenue increases, to which IGN Entertainment responded by coming for our members' jobs,' the guild says. 'This is perplexing to us, as we are told again and again that IGN Entertainment has had a tremendously successful year thus far thanks to their hard work.' An employee in the engineering department was also laid off, Hunter Paniagua, a representative of the Pacific Media Workers Guild, which represents the IGN Creators Guild, tells The Verge. Ziff Davis didn't immediately reply to a request for comment. Last year, across all of Ziff Davis, the company employed approximately 3,800 people, according to an SEC filing. Last year, IGN acquired the website portfolio of Gamer Network, which includes publications like Eurogamer, and Rock Paper Shotgun. Terms of that deal weren't disclosed at the time. 'The company has not responded to the union's questions about whether its budget for future acquisitions is being reconsidered as a cost-saving measure alongside these other apparently necessary personnel cuts,' the IGN Creators Guild says. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Jay Peters Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Gaming Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All News
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Injured hiker found screaming, airlifted from popular Southern California waterfall
A seriously injured hiker was found screaming for help after plunging about halfway down a popular hiking destination and crashing onto rocks, officials confirmed Monday. The fall happened Sunday afternoon at Big Falls near Forest Falls in the San Bernardino Mountains. According to a post from San Bernardino County Fire, emergency crews were dispatched around 3:45 p.m. after someone reported hearing cries for help coming from the waterfall. The reporting party couldn't see the injured person but said the screams were coming from midway up the falls. Officials say the hiker lost his footing while trying to cross a wet, slippery section of the waterfall and plummeted roughly 25 feet into a rocky pool below. Firefighters hiked in and located the man, who had sustained serious injuries. After performing a medical assessment, crews called in a hoist-capable rescue helicopter, which was deemed the safest and most efficient way to extract the patient from the rugged terrain. The helicopter lowered a paramedic into the area, and together with ground personnel, the team secured the hiker into a stokes basket. Video captured the moment he was airlifted from the scene, before being flown to a nearby trauma center. His current condition is unknown. No other injuries were reported. San Bernardino County Fire reminded visitors to stay on marked trails and exercise caution near waterfalls. 'We respond to incidents at this popular location often, where people are seriously injured,' the department wrote. 'Please make smart choices and stay safe.' Multiple units responded to the incident, including a rescue unit, fire engine, battalion chief, rescue helicopter, and a public information officer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
