Latest news with #VictorBawi
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Iowa cops rescue 88 children from Bible study camp in terrifying human trafficking investigation
Nearly 90 children have been rescued from an Iowa Bible study camp as part of an investigation into human trafficking. The Louisa County Sheriff's Department executed a search warrant at the Shekinah Glory camp, operated by the Kingdom Ministry of Rehabilitation and Recreation, in Columbus Junction on June 12 and 13 as part of the ongoing investigation. Following reports of potential criminal activity, the 88 children were transported from the camp to the Wapello Methodist Church, where they met with child protection workers and were later placed in protective custody, WQAD8 reported. Victor Bawi, the son of a minister at the camp, confirmed to KWQC that the camp is under investigation for possible violations involving child abuse, endangerment and human trafficking. He also denied the allegations and said that as of now, no arrests have been made. Bawi claimed that a 15-year-old boy from Texas called authorities because he didn't want to be at the camp. 'We never harmed that child. We loved him,' Bawi told KWQC. 'We bought him like $400 shoes, clothing, everything.' Bawi said the camp was created for Christian teenagers from across the country and insisted the children were not in danger. 'Of course I'm upset,' he said. 'The children are pretty upset too, the ones that are with us - well, there's no children with us - but the ones that were with us, and then hopefully this can be resolved soon.' He continued, 'If they want to investigate, they can investigate. We're innocent. They're not going to find anything. Never abuse anyone. You can ask the children as well, they were having fun. During the scene where they took away the children, they were crying. One of my sisters, they had to give her oxygen. She wasn't breathing. She was sad.' Bawi also expressed hope that the children would return. 'We hope that the children are well and they can come back. We talked to the children and their parents. They want to come back. They want to send their children back.' The pastor of Wapello Methodist Church said he opened the building after receiving a call from the sheriff's office about the need for a safe space. He reported that between 80 and 88 children were brought in, though most did not stay overnight. As of Monday, no children remained at the church, according to KQWC. Columbus Junction residents expressed shock at the incident. 'We don't really see cops - I mean, we live on a gravel road, so it's pretty quiet,' one neighbor told WQAD8. 'They always look like they are having a good time over there. They're always playing soccer or playing games.' He claimed that a 15-year-old boy from Texas called authorities because he didn't want to be at the camp. Pictured: The Shekinah Glory camp operated by the Kingdom Ministry of Rehabilitation and Recreation in Columbus Junction The Kingdom Ministry of Rehab and Recreation was founded in Columbus Junction in 2018, according to its website. 'What we try to do is, we take care of adults and children who are under the influence of drugs, alcohol, nicotine,' Bawi, said. 'The adults and children, we take care of them, we provide food for them. The children we separate from the adults. We separate the boys and girls. We care for them, we provide for them. This summer camp.' According to the ministry's website, it currently rents five mobile homes and houses over 60 people, with plans to build a church and housing for 100 residents by 2025. The Bawi family are members of the Chin ethnic minority, originally from Burma (Myanmar), the New York Post reported. According to an Iowa cultural organization, the state has resettled thousands of refugees fleeing the world's longest-running civil war. Iowa now hosts one of the largest Burmese populations in the Midwest, with many refugees living in Columbus Junction and working at the Tyson Foods Inc. meat packing plant, which employs translators to assist non-English speakers. Burma was added to a State Department travel ban list on June 16, as reported by the New York Post. The investigation into the camp remains ongoing. The operation was carried out by the Louisa County Sheriff's Office in coordination with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Columbus Junction Police Department, according to WQAD8.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Bible camp bust: 88 children removed in Iowa raid; teen's calls sparks human trafficking investigation
(Source: X) Authorities in Iowa have removed 88 children from a Bible study summer camp as part of a wide-ranging human trafficking investigation, reports the New York Post. The operation took place over the weekend at the Shekinah Glory Camp, run by the Kingdom Ministry of Rehabilitation and Recreation in Columbus Junction. Deputies from the Louisa County Sheriff's Office, working with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and Columbus Junction Police, executed multiple search warrants. The children were taken to the nearby Wapello Methodist Church, where they met with child protection officers, and were then placed in temporary foster care. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services said the children will remain in state custody until they can be safely reunited with parents or guardians. The camp had been scheduled to run from June 8 to 29 and drew participants from across the United States. The family operating the camp has denied all wrongdoing. Victor Bawi, whose parents founded the ministry in 2018, said the group helps both children and adults battling addiction to drugs, alcohol, or nicotine. 'What we try to do is, we take care of adults and children who are under the influence of drugs, alcohol, nicotine,' Bawi told local outlet WQAD8. 'The adults and children, we take care of them, we provide food for them. The children we separate from the adults. We separate the boys and girls. We care for them, we provide for them.' Bawi said a teenager from Texas called authorities because he didn't want to be at the camp. 'We never harmed that child. We loved him,' he said. 'We bought him like $400 shoes, clothing, everything.' He also said the camp involves not just Bible study, but activities like volleyball and soccer. Another location in Fredonia, where the ministry reportedly helps people with housing, was also searched by deputies. The church is led by two pastors originally from Burma, now Myanmar, and belongs to the Chin ethnic minority. Many Burmese refugees in Iowa work at a local Tyson Foods plant, which slaughters about 2% of the country's hogs each year.
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Cops remove 88 children from a Bible study camp in Iowa as part of a human trafficking investigation: officials
Deputies raided an Iowa church and removed 88 children participating in a Bible study camp as part of a sweeping human trafficking investigation, police said Monday. The youngsters are now in protective custody of local agencies after they were taken from the Shekinah Glory Camp run by Kingdom Ministry of Rehab and Recreation, according to police and local reports. Deputies executing search warrants removed the children over the weekend and took them to nearby Wapello Methodist Church to meet with child protection workers, deputies told KWQC. 3 Police removed 88 children from a Bible study camp in Iowa. Shekinah Ranch Camp The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services placed the children in temporary foster care until they could be reunited with their parents or guardians, deputies added. The Kingdom Ministry of Rehabilitation and Recreation, founded in 2018, was hosting the summer camp from June 8-29. The family behind the ministry that runs the camp in Columbus Junction denied the allegations, according to WQAD8. 'What we try to do is, we take care of adults and children who are under the influence of drugs, alcohol, nicotine,' Victor Bawi, whose parents run the ministry, told the outlet. 'The adults and children, we take care of them, we provide food for them. The children we separate from the adults. We separate the boys and girls. We care for them, we provide for them.' 3 Police launched a human trafficking investigation at a church in Iowa where they removed 88 children. Shekinah Ranch Camp Bawi told KWQC that a teen from Texas called authorities because he didn't want to attend the camp. Bawi said no children were ever in danger or harmed. 'We never harmed that child. We loved him,' he said. We bought him like $400 shoes, clothing, everything.' Christian teenagers from across the nation attend the camp, he added. Bawi told WQAD8 that when the children aren't studying the Bible, they have fun playing volleyball, soccer and other outdoor activities. 3 Deputies removed 88 children from a church camp under investigation for human trafficking in Iowa. Shekinah Ranch Camp Deputies executed search warrants at several locations — one where the camp was taking place in Columbus Junction, and another less than two miles away in Fredonia, where the church helps people find housing. The Louisa County Sheriff's Office said the operation took place in coordination with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and Columbus Junction Police Department, according to WQAD8. The investigation remains ongoing. The church is run by two pastors from Burma. They are members of the Chin, an ethnic minority, according to an Iowa cultural organization. Iowa has resettled thousands of refugees fleeing the longest-running civil war in the world. Iowa has one of the largest Burmese populations in the Midwest, and Columbus Junction had a significant number in the area. Many of the refugees are poor and work in the Tyson's Food Inc. meat packing plant, where the company has translators on premises. The plant is responsible for 2% of the hogs slaughtered each year in the nation. Burma, also known as Myanmar, is one of the countries added to the controversial list of countries banned for entry to the US by the State Department on June 16.
