Re: Spacnation
Posted by:
Loriwoke
()
Date: December 14, 2019 07:28AM
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/charity-regulator-opens-inquiry-into-spac-nation
[www.gov.uk]
The Charity Commission has today announced the opening of a statutory inquiry into the charity SPAC Nation (1152988). The inquiry will examine financial, governance and safeguarding matters at the charity.
SPAC Nation is a charity set up to advance Christianity. Much of its charitable work is based in London, working particularly with young people.
SPAC Nation has been subject to a regulatory compliance case since April 2018, which was opened to examine safeguarding and financial concerns about the charity.
In June 2019, as part of the compliance case, the Commission issued the charity with an action plan, receiving as expected a response from the trustees in November 2019. Some of this information raised further concerns about the charity’s financial controls, policy and procedures.
Of immediate concern to the Commission is that substantial amounts of charity money are held in cash. As a protective measure, the Commission has issued an order under Section 84 of the Charities Act, requiring the charity to bank its money.
The Commission is also concerned about the apparent lack of clarity between the personal, business and charity roles of leaders within the charity.
The national media reported on the charity over the autumn of 2019, when several individuals alleged they had been encouraged to give money to the charity and/or individuals connected to the charity by taking on personal debt.
The Commission has opened this inquiry to examine matters further. The inquiry will look into the charity’s governance, its management and its policies and practices with regard to safeguarding and people protection issues, financial issues and risk management, particularly in relation to:
• Whether the charity’s safeguarding practices are adequate and the extent to which the Charity’s beneficiaries are being placed at risk;
• The extent to which the financial assets of the charity have been placed at risk by the charity operating largely outside of its current bank account and previously without a bank account;
• The extent to which the trustees are managing the risks, including reputational risks, to the charity caused by recent and ongoing negative publicity in relation to the charity.
The Commission may extend the scope of the inquiry if additional regulatory issues emerge. An inquiry is not in itself a finding of wrongdoing.
A Charity Commission spokesperson said:
Charities exist to improve lives and strengthen society; the issues that have been raised related to SPAC Nation in recent weeks are highly concerning, even more so as the allegations are entirely at odds with the expectations about the way that charities will operate. The opening of this inquiry is an important step that will allow us to examine these concerns further and establish the facts. We will seek to provide assurance to the public and the community that these matters will be considered fully and, where necessary, resolved.
It is the Commission’s policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing what issues the inquiry looked at, what actions were undertaken as part of the inquiry and what the outcomes were.
Reports of previous inquiries by the Commission are available on GOV.UK.
Ends.
Notes to Editors
The inquiry opened on 5 December 2019.
The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales; our role is to regulate charity trustees’ compliance with the charity law framework.
The Commission does not investigate criminal matters.
Press office
Email
pressenquiries@charitycommission.gov.uk
Press enquiries - office hours
0300 065 2123
Press enquiries - out of hours
07785 748787
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/2019 07:29AM by Loriwoke.
[www.gov.uk]
The Charity Commission has today announced the opening of a statutory inquiry into the charity SPAC Nation (1152988). The inquiry will examine financial, governance and safeguarding matters at the charity.
SPAC Nation is a charity set up to advance Christianity. Much of its charitable work is based in London, working particularly with young people.
SPAC Nation has been subject to a regulatory compliance case since April 2018, which was opened to examine safeguarding and financial concerns about the charity.
In June 2019, as part of the compliance case, the Commission issued the charity with an action plan, receiving as expected a response from the trustees in November 2019. Some of this information raised further concerns about the charity’s financial controls, policy and procedures.
Of immediate concern to the Commission is that substantial amounts of charity money are held in cash. As a protective measure, the Commission has issued an order under Section 84 of the Charities Act, requiring the charity to bank its money.
The Commission is also concerned about the apparent lack of clarity between the personal, business and charity roles of leaders within the charity.
The national media reported on the charity over the autumn of 2019, when several individuals alleged they had been encouraged to give money to the charity and/or individuals connected to the charity by taking on personal debt.
The Commission has opened this inquiry to examine matters further. The inquiry will look into the charity’s governance, its management and its policies and practices with regard to safeguarding and people protection issues, financial issues and risk management, particularly in relation to:
• Whether the charity’s safeguarding practices are adequate and the extent to which the Charity’s beneficiaries are being placed at risk;
• The extent to which the financial assets of the charity have been placed at risk by the charity operating largely outside of its current bank account and previously without a bank account;
• The extent to which the trustees are managing the risks, including reputational risks, to the charity caused by recent and ongoing negative publicity in relation to the charity.
The Commission may extend the scope of the inquiry if additional regulatory issues emerge. An inquiry is not in itself a finding of wrongdoing.
A Charity Commission spokesperson said:
Charities exist to improve lives and strengthen society; the issues that have been raised related to SPAC Nation in recent weeks are highly concerning, even more so as the allegations are entirely at odds with the expectations about the way that charities will operate. The opening of this inquiry is an important step that will allow us to examine these concerns further and establish the facts. We will seek to provide assurance to the public and the community that these matters will be considered fully and, where necessary, resolved.
It is the Commission’s policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing what issues the inquiry looked at, what actions were undertaken as part of the inquiry and what the outcomes were.
Reports of previous inquiries by the Commission are available on GOV.UK.
Ends.
Notes to Editors
The inquiry opened on 5 December 2019.
The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales; our role is to regulate charity trustees’ compliance with the charity law framework.
The Commission does not investigate criminal matters.
Press office
pressenquiries@charitycommission.gov.uk
Press enquiries - office hours
0300 065 2123
Press enquiries - out of hours
07785 748787
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/2019 07:29AM by Loriwoke.
Panorama
Posted by:
Loriwoke
()
Date: December 15, 2019 11:47AM
Conned by My Church
Panorama
16 December 2019 19:30
29 minutes
[www.bbc.co.uk]
For the past five years, a radical new church has been promising hundreds of young people an escape from gangs and crime and a pathway to salvation through prosperity and success. SPAC Nation, the Salvation Proclaimers Anointed Church, holds services in hotels, conference halls and football grounds. Its leader, Tobi Adegboyega, has been courted by politicians and the media for his work in tackling gang violence. But Panorama has discovered how the church’s outward show of concern for young people hides a less than charitable appetite for money. Reporter Greg McKenzie investigates its fundraising activities and speaks to young worshippers who say they’ve been forced into debt whilst church leaders enjoy lavish lifestyles.
Panorama
16 December 2019 19:30
29 minutes
[www.bbc.co.uk]
For the past five years, a radical new church has been promising hundreds of young people an escape from gangs and crime and a pathway to salvation through prosperity and success. SPAC Nation, the Salvation Proclaimers Anointed Church, holds services in hotels, conference halls and football grounds. Its leader, Tobi Adegboyega, has been courted by politicians and the media for his work in tackling gang violence. But Panorama has discovered how the church’s outward show of concern for young people hides a less than charitable appetite for money. Reporter Greg McKenzie investigates its fundraising activities and speaks to young worshippers who say they’ve been forced into debt whilst church leaders enjoy lavish lifestyles.
Re: Panorama
Posted by:
Loriwoke
()
Date: December 17, 2019 09:20AM
I generally post the media coverage of Spacnation here, just as a resource for anyone who needs to research them quickly.
I rarely offer comment, but having watched the Panorama program I feel I have no choice.
Pastors promoted fraud and financial abuse which will have been made possible because of the underpinning emotional abuse/ grooming/ manipulation.
Pastor Tobi boasted of his Pied Piper effect, insisting that he could call a meeting at the drop of a hat and within a few hours amass 500 people. A statement issued later by the church, who boast of their success in rehabilitating ex offenders, offered a bizarre excuse for the abuse reported in the program; namely that it was not possible to control so many ex offenders.
These admissions alone should attract safeguarding authorities as a matter of urgency.
The church showed no compassion in that it appears to have ignored the claims made by survivors and taken absolutely no responsibility for any of this abuse.
In fact, what we saw on Tobi Adegboyega's twitter feed indicated that the Spac response was one of unbridled hysteria. The congregation copied their spiritual leader as he danced around the stage chanting' Bye Bye Panorama' [twitter.com]
There are so many questions that need to be asked here and they need to be asked by the authorities. Urgently.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/17/2019 09:28AM by Loriwoke.
I rarely offer comment, but having watched the Panorama program I feel I have no choice.
Pastors promoted fraud and financial abuse which will have been made possible because of the underpinning emotional abuse/ grooming/ manipulation.
Pastor Tobi boasted of his Pied Piper effect, insisting that he could call a meeting at the drop of a hat and within a few hours amass 500 people. A statement issued later by the church, who boast of their success in rehabilitating ex offenders, offered a bizarre excuse for the abuse reported in the program; namely that it was not possible to control so many ex offenders.
These admissions alone should attract safeguarding authorities as a matter of urgency.
The church showed no compassion in that it appears to have ignored the claims made by survivors and taken absolutely no responsibility for any of this abuse.
In fact, what we saw on Tobi Adegboyega's twitter feed indicated that the Spac response was one of unbridled hysteria. The congregation copied their spiritual leader as he danced around the stage chanting' Bye Bye Panorama' [twitter.com]
There are so many questions that need to be asked here and they need to be asked by the authorities. Urgently.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/17/2019 09:28AM by Loriwoke.
Re: Panorama
Posted by:
Loriwoke
()
Date: December 20, 2019 09:11PM
Reporting any abuse to authorities online is easy and effective.
1. The telephone number for the charity commission is 0300 066 9197
2. [forms.charitycommission.gov.uk] online report
3. [crimestoppers-uk.org]
Reporting any abuse to authorities online is easy and effective and will assist the authorities to take action swiftly.
There are so many questions that need to be asked here and they need to be asked by the authorities. Urgently.
1. The telephone number for the charity commission is 0300 066 9197
2. [forms.charitycommission.gov.uk] online report
3. [crimestoppers-uk.org]
Reporting any abuse to authorities online is easy and effective and will assist the authorities to take action swiftly.
There are so many questions that need to be asked here and they need to be asked by the authorities. Urgently.
Re: Spacnation
Posted by:
Loriwoke
()
Date: December 22, 2019 06:25PM
[www.dailymail.co.uk]
Members of controversial 'Church of Bling' face claims of child rape and sexual abuse of teenage girls
Controversial London church is facing claims of child rape, sex abuse of teens
Police are examining a dossier of allegations compiled by Labour MP Steve Reed
Alleged incidents said to have happened in 'trap houses' run by the church
By MICHAEL POWELL FOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY
PUBLISHED: 01:11, 22 December 2019
Members of a controversial church accused of exploiting young people are now facing claims of child rape and the sexual abuse of teenage girls.
The Mail on Sunday can reveal that police are examining a dossier of a dozen allegations compiled by Labour MP Steve Reed, who has been contacted by alleged victims of SPAC Nation preachers.
'There is one allegation of potential rape against an underage girl,' Mr Reed said. 'There are also allegations that SPAC Nation pastors are regularly sleeping with girls who, in some cases, are under 16.'
Church head: 'Bling-loving' and Gucci-clad Tobi Adegboyega +4
Church head: 'Bling-loving' and Gucci-clad Tobi Adegboyega
The MP for Croydon North added that the alleged incidents are said to have happened in some of the 15 so-called 'trap houses' – safe houses for former gang members – run by the church across London.
Pastors are also facing claims from dozens of ex-worshippers who allege they were forced to take out bank loans and hand over thousands of pounds to fund the church's lavish spending.
The Mail on Sunday can reveal that police are examining a dossier of a dozen allegations compiled by Labour MP Steve Reed (pictured) +4
The Mail on Sunday can reveal that police are examining a dossier of a dozen allegations compiled by Labour MP Steve Reed (pictured)
The preachers are known for wearing designer clothes and driving expensive cars including Rolls-Royces and Lamborghinis. SPAC Nation has even been nicknamed 'The Church of Bling' due to the conspicuous nature of its leaders' wealth.
SPAC Nation was initially praised for helping gang members to turn their backs on violent crime. However, more recently it has been accused of acting like a cult.
Mr Reed said: 'I've had a woman, who was 16 at the time, telling me it was common in a trap house for older pastors to sleep with women. In her words, 'Everyone was having sex with everyone else.' It is not what you would associate with a church.'
The MP, who handed his dossier to police last month, claimed to have seen 'overwhelming evidence that there is criminal exploitation of young people through pressuring them to take out fraudulent loans, and setting up fake businesses to access business loans fraudulently'.
'Church of Bling' investigated over claims pastors 'pushed...
MP calls for probe into Spac Nation 'Church of Bling' where...
EXCLUSIVE: Stockbrokers strike back! Bling-loving pastor...
Members of a controversial church accused of exploiting young people are now facing claims of child rape and the sexual abuse of teenage girls. Pictured: Pastor Tobi Adegboyega +4
Members of a controversial church accused of exploiting young people are now facing claims of child rape and the sexual abuse of teenage girls. Pictured: Pastor Tobi Adegboyega
The church is run by Nigerian pastor Tobi Adegboyega (pictured), 39, who came to Britain in 2005 and until recently lived in a £2.5 million house in Surrey +4
The church is run by Nigerian pastor Tobi Adegboyega (pictured), 39, who came to Britain in 2005 and until recently lived in a £2.5 million house in Surrey
Scotland Yard confirmed the force was 'aware of allegations that pertain to potential fraud and other offences relating to the activities of individuals associated with SPAC Nation'. A spokesman added: 'Officers are reviewing the allegations to identify if any criminal offences have been committed. Once this is complete, a decision will be made as to whether a criminal investigation is launched. There have been no arrests.'
SPAC Nation is run by Nigerian pastor Tobi Adegboyega, 39, who came to Britain in 2005 and until recently lived in a £2.5 million house in Surrey. There is no suggestion Mr Adegboyega, who attended this year's Tory Party conference, has been involved in, or is aware of, any wrongdoing.
The church welcomes about 1,000 worshippers to services in hotel conference suites, where pastors perform 'drill' rap music and preach a 'prosperity gospel' that states God rewards people with material wealth. It has previously denied allegations of fraud and did not respond to a request for comment about the new allegations.
SPAC Nation's 'Church of Bling'
The evangelical church claims to be a 'faith based organisation that is committed in seeing the lives of young people being transformed'.
The organisation is run by the Nigerian pastor Tobi Adegboyega, 39, who came to Britain in 2005.
Allegations of fraud emerged last month and the church is now under investigation.
The church has previously been praised by politicians for helping young people who are at risk of knife crime.
The church, which featured in a BBC documentary last year, claims 55 per cent of its congregation are ex-gang member
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/22/2019 06:40PM by Loriwoke.
Members of controversial 'Church of Bling' face claims of child rape and sexual abuse of teenage girls
Controversial London church is facing claims of child rape, sex abuse of teens
Police are examining a dossier of allegations compiled by Labour MP Steve Reed
Alleged incidents said to have happened in 'trap houses' run by the church
By MICHAEL POWELL FOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY
PUBLISHED: 01:11, 22 December 2019
Members of a controversial church accused of exploiting young people are now facing claims of child rape and the sexual abuse of teenage girls.
The Mail on Sunday can reveal that police are examining a dossier of a dozen allegations compiled by Labour MP Steve Reed, who has been contacted by alleged victims of SPAC Nation preachers.
'There is one allegation of potential rape against an underage girl,' Mr Reed said. 'There are also allegations that SPAC Nation pastors are regularly sleeping with girls who, in some cases, are under 16.'
Church head: 'Bling-loving' and Gucci-clad Tobi Adegboyega +4
Church head: 'Bling-loving' and Gucci-clad Tobi Adegboyega
The MP for Croydon North added that the alleged incidents are said to have happened in some of the 15 so-called 'trap houses' – safe houses for former gang members – run by the church across London.
Pastors are also facing claims from dozens of ex-worshippers who allege they were forced to take out bank loans and hand over thousands of pounds to fund the church's lavish spending.
The Mail on Sunday can reveal that police are examining a dossier of a dozen allegations compiled by Labour MP Steve Reed (pictured) +4
The Mail on Sunday can reveal that police are examining a dossier of a dozen allegations compiled by Labour MP Steve Reed (pictured)
The preachers are known for wearing designer clothes and driving expensive cars including Rolls-Royces and Lamborghinis. SPAC Nation has even been nicknamed 'The Church of Bling' due to the conspicuous nature of its leaders' wealth.
SPAC Nation was initially praised for helping gang members to turn their backs on violent crime. However, more recently it has been accused of acting like a cult.
Mr Reed said: 'I've had a woman, who was 16 at the time, telling me it was common in a trap house for older pastors to sleep with women. In her words, 'Everyone was having sex with everyone else.' It is not what you would associate with a church.'
The MP, who handed his dossier to police last month, claimed to have seen 'overwhelming evidence that there is criminal exploitation of young people through pressuring them to take out fraudulent loans, and setting up fake businesses to access business loans fraudulently'.
'Church of Bling' investigated over claims pastors 'pushed...
MP calls for probe into Spac Nation 'Church of Bling' where...
EXCLUSIVE: Stockbrokers strike back! Bling-loving pastor...
Members of a controversial church accused of exploiting young people are now facing claims of child rape and the sexual abuse of teenage girls. Pictured: Pastor Tobi Adegboyega +4
Members of a controversial church accused of exploiting young people are now facing claims of child rape and the sexual abuse of teenage girls. Pictured: Pastor Tobi Adegboyega
The church is run by Nigerian pastor Tobi Adegboyega (pictured), 39, who came to Britain in 2005 and until recently lived in a £2.5 million house in Surrey +4
The church is run by Nigerian pastor Tobi Adegboyega (pictured), 39, who came to Britain in 2005 and until recently lived in a £2.5 million house in Surrey
Scotland Yard confirmed the force was 'aware of allegations that pertain to potential fraud and other offences relating to the activities of individuals associated with SPAC Nation'. A spokesman added: 'Officers are reviewing the allegations to identify if any criminal offences have been committed. Once this is complete, a decision will be made as to whether a criminal investigation is launched. There have been no arrests.'
SPAC Nation is run by Nigerian pastor Tobi Adegboyega, 39, who came to Britain in 2005 and until recently lived in a £2.5 million house in Surrey. There is no suggestion Mr Adegboyega, who attended this year's Tory Party conference, has been involved in, or is aware of, any wrongdoing.
The church welcomes about 1,000 worshippers to services in hotel conference suites, where pastors perform 'drill' rap music and preach a 'prosperity gospel' that states God rewards people with material wealth. It has previously denied allegations of fraud and did not respond to a request for comment about the new allegations.
SPAC Nation's 'Church of Bling'
The evangelical church claims to be a 'faith based organisation that is committed in seeing the lives of young people being transformed'.
The organisation is run by the Nigerian pastor Tobi Adegboyega, 39, who came to Britain in 2005.
Allegations of fraud emerged last month and the church is now under investigation.
The church has previously been praised by politicians for helping young people who are at risk of knife crime.
The church, which featured in a BBC documentary last year, claims 55 per cent of its congregation are ex-gang member
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/22/2019 06:40PM by Loriwoke.
Re: Spacnation
Posted by:
Loriwoke
()
Date: December 22, 2019 10:06PM
This was also reported in November by Huff Post
SPAC Nation: Church Reported To Police As Shadow Minister Alleges ‘Echoes Of Rotherham Abuse Scandal’
Metropolitan Police is investigating controversial church facing "several very alarming allegations of sexual abuse" in wake of major HuffPost UK investigation.
By Emma Youle
Nadine White
NEWS
13/11/2019 19:53 GMT | Updated 14/11/2019 15:12 GMT
SPAC Nation: Church Reported To Police As Shadow Minister Alleges ‘Echoes Of Rotherham Abuse Scandal’
Metropolitan Police is investigating controversial church facing "several very alarming allegations of sexual abuse" in wake of major HuffPost UK investigation.
By Emma Youle
Nadine White
ADVERTISEMENT
A shadow minister for child protection has said deepening allegations engulfing the controversial church SPAC Nation “have echoes of the Rotherham abuse scandal” – as reports have been made to police of alleged sexual and financial abuse.
The Metropolitan Police is now reviewing allegations of potential fraud and other offences relating to the London based pentecostal church SPAC Nation and will decide whether a criminal investigation should be launched, the force has confirmed.
It follows HuffPost UK exposing allegations of safeguarding concerns and alleged financial exploitation in a major investigation published on Friday.
Labour’s shadow minister for child protection, Steve Reed, went with young people who are ex-members of SPAC Nation to police on Monday to present evidence and ask the Met to open a formal investigation.
That’s girls aged under 18 telling me that they are being pressured to have sex with people who are over 18, including pastors
Steve Reed MP
Reed says child safeguarding representatives from Croydon Council were also with the group that went to Croydon police station.
Reed told HuffPost UK he had gathered evidence not just of “financial fraud allegations” but of “several very alarming allegations of sexual abuse”.
“That’s girls aged under 18 telling me that they are being pressured to have sex with people who are over 18, including pastors who are in leadership positions, inside trap houses.And I’ve had several of those,” he said.
A SPAC Nation
HUFFPOST UK
A SPAC Nation service
Safe houses, known as trap houses within the church, which uses the terminology adopted by gangs to describe houses where drugs are cut and sold, are set up by pastors to house young people escaping from gangs.
“There are echoes of Rotherham in some of this, you know,” Reed told HuffPost UK, referring to the child sexual exploitation scandal that occurred in the northern town of Rotherham. “There really are, where people in authority didn’t see things that were inconvenient.”
In the Rotherham case, vulnerable children were exploited and sexually abused from the late 1980s until the 2010s, as authorities failed to tackle a group of Asian men perpetrating the crimes for fear of being labelled as racist.
MORE FROM THIS HUFFPOST UK INVESTIGATION
Church Fighting Knife Crime Fails To Act On Rogue Pastors Flourishing In Its Ranks
SPAC Nation: Allegations Of Safeguarding Abuses In 'Trap Houses' Linked To Controversial Church
The shadow minister said the hype surrounding SPAC Nation’s self-proclaimed work to tackle London’s knife crime epidemic and offer young people a route out of gangs should have been better scrutinised.
“I think people were desperate to see an organisation in the community getting young people out of gang crime and turning their life around and therefore they didn’t listen and they didn’t look when they were presented with conflicting evidence which said that what this organisation was really doing was re-criminalising those young people to its own advantage,” Reed continued.
SPAC Nation said the allegations of sexual and financial abuse were “not only twisted but also false and misleading”.
The church said it was “happy with the developments regarding the Met Police as it was the best way all concerned can establish the truth”.
Reed has called for police and social services to take urgent action to ensure the safety of young people still associated with the church, and particularly those living in its so-called trap houses.
“I think there’s a child safeguarding aspect and I’m very, very keen that the authorities should take urgent intervention where there’s a high risk,” he said.
HuffPost UK revealed on Saturday that a 16-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by a member of SPAC Nation inside a trap house in 2016. This incident has been confirmed by the church itself in a public statement issued in March last year.
Steve Reed has been MP for Croydon North since
LEWIS WHYLD - PA IMAGES VIA GETTY IMAGES
Steve Reed has been MP for Croydon North since 2012
The former MP, who is contesting his Croydon North seat in the upcoming general election, says he received allegations of aggression and abuse against Labour voters and campaigners during a local by-election in which a SPAC Nation pastor was a candidate last month.
He posted about this on Twitter and says he was “bombarded” with emails and phone calls from people giving evidence. He spent 48 hours responding to everyone who had got in contact and pieced together “a pretty worrying picture of what the organisation is”, he said.
“The vast majority of the allegations were to do with taking out fraudulent loans or people being coerced to take out loans to give to the church as ‘seed’ - money in other words,” he said.
The shadow minister says some young people who joined SPAC Nation were running up debts of £5,000, £10,000, £15,000 or £20,000 and were being pressured to hand over their student loans, and getting themselves “horrifically in debt”.
The allegations he described closely echo evidence uncovered by HuffPost UK during our investigation of exploitation of young people, and Reed acknowledged the parallels.
“It looks really similar, I mean it looks systematic doesn’t it,” he said. “When you get so many similar stories from so many disparate and multiple sources, you will conclude this is systematic criminal exploitation of young people.”
Reed says he has been told that some pastors influence young people to make loan applications.
“It looks like there’s a fairly significant, I can only describe it as brainwashing operation, beforehand to try and prepare the young people to make sure they take out the loans,” he said.
Pastor Tobi Adegboyega, leader of SPAC Nation, at a church
HUFFPOST UK
Pastor Tobi Adegboyega, leader of SPAC Nation, at a church service
HuffPost UK first exposed serious allegations of financial and safeguarding abuses of young people by some SPAC Nation pastors in a major investigation on Friday.
Ex-congregation members spoke out to reveal shocking allegations of pastors targeting young black people from impoverished areas and “broken homes” and isolating them from their families – before exploiting them for money.
HuffPost UK found evidence that some pastors at the church – whose leader Tobi Adegboyega was pictured in the second row for Boris Johnson’s speech at this year’s Conservative Party conference – had pressured young people into taking out substantial loans of up to £5,000.
Reed says social services need to collaborate across London and beyond to look into the allegations linked to SPAC Nation and called for police and social services to set up a joint helpline.
“It is a good thing that the Metropolitan Police have decided to review these allegations. We look forward to their investigation
Daniel Ogoloma, SPAC Nation spokesman
“There is a desperate need for an anonymous helpline for people who are currently or have previously been involved, to be able to call and get assistance to make their allegations,” he said.
“I think that needs to be done now, because by the church’s own estimation there are about 1,000 young people involved in it. My view now is those are 1,000 young people who are at risk today.
“But there are thousands more who have been through this organisation and they may also have things to say, and they may well be deeply traumatised by the experiences that they’ve gone through. They may be in debt, they have been criminalised by it, all of these are young people who will need help.”
The Metropolitan Police confirmed it has received allegations that pertain to potential fraud and other possible offences that relate to SPAC Nation.
A Met spokeswoman said: “Officers are reviewing the allegations to identify if any criminal offences have potentially been committed. Once this review is complete, a decision will be made as to whether a criminal investigation is launched. We cannot comment any further at this time.”
A Croydon Council spokeswoman said: “We do not comment on safeguarding concerns related to individuals or specific organisations, but we are there to offer support.
“If anyone is worried about someone at risk, or feels at risk themselves, please contact our safeguarding team on 0208 726 6400, or on 0208 255 2888, if urgent.”
SPAC Nation responded to the latest allegations and welcomed police involvement.
The church’s spokesman Daniel Ogoloma said: “It is a good thing that the Metropolitan Police have decided to review these allegations.
“We look forward to their investigation and we hope HuffPost UK will be honest enough when reporting their findings.”
He added: “We are happy with the developments regarding the Met Police as it’s the best way all concerned can establish the truth.
“I think the allegations you have put up here is in continuation of your pursuit to keep your readers engaged.”
[[size=x-large]color=#330099]One Teenager’s Story Inside A Trap House
A 17-year-old girl told HuffPost UK that she would often stay at trap houses without her mother’s consent or knowledge of her whereabouts.
“I visited nearly all of the trap houses and it’s common for under 18-year-olds to stay at them. I’d stay at one in particular and my mum never knew.”
She first began attending SPAC Nation when she was 16 after becoming impressed with the church’s regular “takeovers” at fast food restaurants.
“I thought SPAC Nation was amazing and, at that point, I couldn’t understand why I was the only person from my area in this church. Everyone needs to be here, I thought.”
The teenager said some pastors would encourage her not to tell her mother where she was and she began spending more time with them.
“In SPAC Nation, this is what happens; if you finish college, they pick you up and they take you out with them and drop you home late at night. So, I was barely home.”
The teenager found that attending the church caused tensions in her home life. One senior pastor would regularly tell her that her mother did not work hard enough to move her out of the impoverished London borough they lived in.
“I got angry at my mum because of our living conditions when I shouldn’t have been, to be honest,” she explained. “My mum wasn’t even born in England.”
And it wasn’t long before the impressionable teenager, eager to conform, says she dropped out of college allegedly at the behest of a SPAC Nation pastor.
“I wouldn’t have dropped out of college if a pastor hadn’t told me to,” she said. “Even though I didn’t like it that much, I would’ve stuck it out. I was told that God didn’t want me to be in college and said that I am wasting my time.”
The teenager says some pastors instructed her to move out of her family home and into a pastor’s house, citing a biblical scripture as the justification.
When I left home, my mum didn’t even call the police because, at the end of the day, she was worn down by that point
She says her mother was not notified and she was swiftly encouraged to change her mobile number so her mother was unable to contact her once she left.
The teenager said she hated the experience of living away from home and longed to return. She was gone for a whole month.
“In my whole time attending SPAC, no pastors contacted my mum,” she said.
“It was not nice. Five people sleeping on a bed, 10 people sleeping on the floor, five people sleeping on the sofa. I cried. I didn’t want to be there anymore. I wanted to go home. Girls were on their periods and having to use tissue because everyone’s so busy bleeding ‘for seed’ that they can’t pay for pads.”
“And, slowly but surely SPAC Nation do make parents feel tired,” she explained. “When I left home, my mum didn’t even call the police because, at the end of the day, she was worn down by that point. Imagine your child coming home whenever they want. I used to leave my house at 7 in the morning, not go to college, and come back home at night.”
After deciding that enough was enough, the teenager eventually left the church after just over six months and returned home.
“There are people in SPAC Nation who are bullies. If you look like an easy target, people are going to pick on you. I witnessed people being pressured for money.
“If you look vulnerable, they’ll go straight in and ask you to take out a loan.”
Reflecting on the emotional ordeal, the teenager said: “The things that happened there were so crazy…I’ve fixed my life [but] in SPAC you’re not in the real world.”
SPAC Nation distanced itself from the trap houses.
Spokesman Daniel Ogoloma said: “These houses are rented by individuals and the church encourages individuals to take in people and help them. That is at the will of the individual.”
He added: “SPAC Nation helps people, we do not target anyone.[/color][/size]
Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 12/22/2019 10:14PM by Loriwoke.
SPAC Nation: Church Reported To Police As Shadow Minister Alleges ‘Echoes Of Rotherham Abuse Scandal’
Metropolitan Police is investigating controversial church facing "several very alarming allegations of sexual abuse" in wake of major HuffPost UK investigation.
By Emma Youle
Nadine White
NEWS
13/11/2019 19:53 GMT | Updated 14/11/2019 15:12 GMT
SPAC Nation: Church Reported To Police As Shadow Minister Alleges ‘Echoes Of Rotherham Abuse Scandal’
Metropolitan Police is investigating controversial church facing "several very alarming allegations of sexual abuse" in wake of major HuffPost UK investigation.
By Emma Youle
Nadine White
ADVERTISEMENT
A shadow minister for child protection has said deepening allegations engulfing the controversial church SPAC Nation “have echoes of the Rotherham abuse scandal” – as reports have been made to police of alleged sexual and financial abuse.
The Metropolitan Police is now reviewing allegations of potential fraud and other offences relating to the London based pentecostal church SPAC Nation and will decide whether a criminal investigation should be launched, the force has confirmed.
It follows HuffPost UK exposing allegations of safeguarding concerns and alleged financial exploitation in a major investigation published on Friday.
Labour’s shadow minister for child protection, Steve Reed, went with young people who are ex-members of SPAC Nation to police on Monday to present evidence and ask the Met to open a formal investigation.
That’s girls aged under 18 telling me that they are being pressured to have sex with people who are over 18, including pastors
Steve Reed MP
Reed says child safeguarding representatives from Croydon Council were also with the group that went to Croydon police station.
Reed told HuffPost UK he had gathered evidence not just of “financial fraud allegations” but of “several very alarming allegations of sexual abuse”.
“That’s girls aged under 18 telling me that they are being pressured to have sex with people who are over 18, including pastors who are in leadership positions, inside trap houses.And I’ve had several of those,” he said.
A SPAC Nation
HUFFPOST UK
A SPAC Nation service
Safe houses, known as trap houses within the church, which uses the terminology adopted by gangs to describe houses where drugs are cut and sold, are set up by pastors to house young people escaping from gangs.
“There are echoes of Rotherham in some of this, you know,” Reed told HuffPost UK, referring to the child sexual exploitation scandal that occurred in the northern town of Rotherham. “There really are, where people in authority didn’t see things that were inconvenient.”
In the Rotherham case, vulnerable children were exploited and sexually abused from the late 1980s until the 2010s, as authorities failed to tackle a group of Asian men perpetrating the crimes for fear of being labelled as racist.
MORE FROM THIS HUFFPOST UK INVESTIGATION
Church Fighting Knife Crime Fails To Act On Rogue Pastors Flourishing In Its Ranks
SPAC Nation: Allegations Of Safeguarding Abuses In 'Trap Houses' Linked To Controversial Church
The shadow minister said the hype surrounding SPAC Nation’s self-proclaimed work to tackle London’s knife crime epidemic and offer young people a route out of gangs should have been better scrutinised.
“I think people were desperate to see an organisation in the community getting young people out of gang crime and turning their life around and therefore they didn’t listen and they didn’t look when they were presented with conflicting evidence which said that what this organisation was really doing was re-criminalising those young people to its own advantage,” Reed continued.
SPAC Nation said the allegations of sexual and financial abuse were “not only twisted but also false and misleading”.
The church said it was “happy with the developments regarding the Met Police as it was the best way all concerned can establish the truth”.
Reed has called for police and social services to take urgent action to ensure the safety of young people still associated with the church, and particularly those living in its so-called trap houses.
“I think there’s a child safeguarding aspect and I’m very, very keen that the authorities should take urgent intervention where there’s a high risk,” he said.
HuffPost UK revealed on Saturday that a 16-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by a member of SPAC Nation inside a trap house in 2016. This incident has been confirmed by the church itself in a public statement issued in March last year.
Steve Reed has been MP for Croydon North since
LEWIS WHYLD - PA IMAGES VIA GETTY IMAGES
Steve Reed has been MP for Croydon North since 2012
The former MP, who is contesting his Croydon North seat in the upcoming general election, says he received allegations of aggression and abuse against Labour voters and campaigners during a local by-election in which a SPAC Nation pastor was a candidate last month.
He posted about this on Twitter and says he was “bombarded” with emails and phone calls from people giving evidence. He spent 48 hours responding to everyone who had got in contact and pieced together “a pretty worrying picture of what the organisation is”, he said.
“The vast majority of the allegations were to do with taking out fraudulent loans or people being coerced to take out loans to give to the church as ‘seed’ - money in other words,” he said.
The shadow minister says some young people who joined SPAC Nation were running up debts of £5,000, £10,000, £15,000 or £20,000 and were being pressured to hand over their student loans, and getting themselves “horrifically in debt”.
The allegations he described closely echo evidence uncovered by HuffPost UK during our investigation of exploitation of young people, and Reed acknowledged the parallels.
“It looks really similar, I mean it looks systematic doesn’t it,” he said. “When you get so many similar stories from so many disparate and multiple sources, you will conclude this is systematic criminal exploitation of young people.”
Reed says he has been told that some pastors influence young people to make loan applications.
“It looks like there’s a fairly significant, I can only describe it as brainwashing operation, beforehand to try and prepare the young people to make sure they take out the loans,” he said.
Pastor Tobi Adegboyega, leader of SPAC Nation, at a church
HUFFPOST UK
Pastor Tobi Adegboyega, leader of SPAC Nation, at a church service
HuffPost UK first exposed serious allegations of financial and safeguarding abuses of young people by some SPAC Nation pastors in a major investigation on Friday.
Ex-congregation members spoke out to reveal shocking allegations of pastors targeting young black people from impoverished areas and “broken homes” and isolating them from their families – before exploiting them for money.
HuffPost UK found evidence that some pastors at the church – whose leader Tobi Adegboyega was pictured in the second row for Boris Johnson’s speech at this year’s Conservative Party conference – had pressured young people into taking out substantial loans of up to £5,000.
Reed says social services need to collaborate across London and beyond to look into the allegations linked to SPAC Nation and called for police and social services to set up a joint helpline.
“It is a good thing that the Metropolitan Police have decided to review these allegations. We look forward to their investigation
Daniel Ogoloma, SPAC Nation spokesman
“There is a desperate need for an anonymous helpline for people who are currently or have previously been involved, to be able to call and get assistance to make their allegations,” he said.
“I think that needs to be done now, because by the church’s own estimation there are about 1,000 young people involved in it. My view now is those are 1,000 young people who are at risk today.
“But there are thousands more who have been through this organisation and they may also have things to say, and they may well be deeply traumatised by the experiences that they’ve gone through. They may be in debt, they have been criminalised by it, all of these are young people who will need help.”
The Metropolitan Police confirmed it has received allegations that pertain to potential fraud and other possible offences that relate to SPAC Nation.
A Met spokeswoman said: “Officers are reviewing the allegations to identify if any criminal offences have potentially been committed. Once this review is complete, a decision will be made as to whether a criminal investigation is launched. We cannot comment any further at this time.”
A Croydon Council spokeswoman said: “We do not comment on safeguarding concerns related to individuals or specific organisations, but we are there to offer support.
“If anyone is worried about someone at risk, or feels at risk themselves, please contact our safeguarding team on 0208 726 6400, or on 0208 255 2888, if urgent.”
SPAC Nation responded to the latest allegations and welcomed police involvement.
The church’s spokesman Daniel Ogoloma said: “It is a good thing that the Metropolitan Police have decided to review these allegations.
“We look forward to their investigation and we hope HuffPost UK will be honest enough when reporting their findings.”
He added: “We are happy with the developments regarding the Met Police as it’s the best way all concerned can establish the truth.
“I think the allegations you have put up here is in continuation of your pursuit to keep your readers engaged.”
[[size=x-large]color=#330099]One Teenager’s Story Inside A Trap House
A 17-year-old girl told HuffPost UK that she would often stay at trap houses without her mother’s consent or knowledge of her whereabouts.
“I visited nearly all of the trap houses and it’s common for under 18-year-olds to stay at them. I’d stay at one in particular and my mum never knew.”
She first began attending SPAC Nation when she was 16 after becoming impressed with the church’s regular “takeovers” at fast food restaurants.
“I thought SPAC Nation was amazing and, at that point, I couldn’t understand why I was the only person from my area in this church. Everyone needs to be here, I thought.”
The teenager said some pastors would encourage her not to tell her mother where she was and she began spending more time with them.
“In SPAC Nation, this is what happens; if you finish college, they pick you up and they take you out with them and drop you home late at night. So, I was barely home.”
The teenager found that attending the church caused tensions in her home life. One senior pastor would regularly tell her that her mother did not work hard enough to move her out of the impoverished London borough they lived in.
“I got angry at my mum because of our living conditions when I shouldn’t have been, to be honest,” she explained. “My mum wasn’t even born in England.”
And it wasn’t long before the impressionable teenager, eager to conform, says she dropped out of college allegedly at the behest of a SPAC Nation pastor.
“I wouldn’t have dropped out of college if a pastor hadn’t told me to,” she said. “Even though I didn’t like it that much, I would’ve stuck it out. I was told that God didn’t want me to be in college and said that I am wasting my time.”
The teenager says some pastors instructed her to move out of her family home and into a pastor’s house, citing a biblical scripture as the justification.
When I left home, my mum didn’t even call the police because, at the end of the day, she was worn down by that point
She says her mother was not notified and she was swiftly encouraged to change her mobile number so her mother was unable to contact her once she left.
The teenager said she hated the experience of living away from home and longed to return. She was gone for a whole month.
“In my whole time attending SPAC, no pastors contacted my mum,” she said.
“It was not nice. Five people sleeping on a bed, 10 people sleeping on the floor, five people sleeping on the sofa. I cried. I didn’t want to be there anymore. I wanted to go home. Girls were on their periods and having to use tissue because everyone’s so busy bleeding ‘for seed’ that they can’t pay for pads.”
“And, slowly but surely SPAC Nation do make parents feel tired,” she explained. “When I left home, my mum didn’t even call the police because, at the end of the day, she was worn down by that point. Imagine your child coming home whenever they want. I used to leave my house at 7 in the morning, not go to college, and come back home at night.”
After deciding that enough was enough, the teenager eventually left the church after just over six months and returned home.
“There are people in SPAC Nation who are bullies. If you look like an easy target, people are going to pick on you. I witnessed people being pressured for money.
“If you look vulnerable, they’ll go straight in and ask you to take out a loan.”
Reflecting on the emotional ordeal, the teenager said: “The things that happened there were so crazy…I’ve fixed my life [but] in SPAC you’re not in the real world.”
SPAC Nation distanced itself from the trap houses.
Spokesman Daniel Ogoloma said: “These houses are rented by individuals and the church encourages individuals to take in people and help them. That is at the will of the individual.”
He added: “SPAC Nation helps people, we do not target anyone.[/color][/size]
Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 12/22/2019 10:14PM by Loriwoke.
Re: Spacnation
Posted by:
Loriwoke
()
Date: December 22, 2019 11:22PM
Readers
Spacnation ran their recruitment drive throughout the UK, via educational establishments including schools, colleges , universities as well as religious organisations and front groups/ activities. People who should have known better have been involved in this by inadvertently providing them with a positive PR platform. This includes politicians , the media, some distinguished institutions and some mainstream clergy. This is a wake up call to all of you. If you didnt know what was happening before, you know now and you need to step up.
All of you should now echo the concerns of the ex members, families of members, Steve Reed, professionals, concerned menbers of the public, vloggers, bloggers, exposers,journalists, including those at Huff Post, Panorama, Sunday Times, Croydon Insider, Mail on Sunday and others by calling for an immediate public enquiry.
There are so many urgent questions that need to be asked here regarding the safety of young people and they need to be asked by the authorities as part of a public enquiry. Youngsters need safeguarding. Urgently.
Spacnation ran their recruitment drive throughout the UK, via educational establishments including schools, colleges , universities as well as religious organisations and front groups/ activities. People who should have known better have been involved in this by inadvertently providing them with a positive PR platform. This includes politicians , the media, some distinguished institutions and some mainstream clergy. This is a wake up call to all of you. If you didnt know what was happening before, you know now and you need to step up.
All of you should now echo the concerns of the ex members, families of members, Steve Reed, professionals, concerned menbers of the public, vloggers, bloggers, exposers,journalists, including those at Huff Post, Panorama, Sunday Times, Croydon Insider, Mail on Sunday and others by calling for an immediate public enquiry.
There are so many urgent questions that need to be asked here regarding the safety of young people and they need to be asked by the authorities as part of a public enquiry. Youngsters need safeguarding. Urgently.
Re: Spacnation
Posted by:
Loriwoke
()
Date: December 23, 2019 12:00AM
Spacnation ran their recruitment drive throughout the UK, via educational establishments including schools, colleges , universities as well as religious organisations and front groups/ activities. People who should have known better have been involved in this by inadvertently providing them with a positive PR platform. This includes politicians , the media, some distinguished institutions and some mainstream clergy. To these people I say, this is a wake up call to all of you. If you didnt know what was happening before, you know now and you need to step up.
All of us should now echo the concerns of the ex members, families of members, Steve Reed, professionals, concerned menbers of the public, vloggers, bloggers, exposers, journalists, including those at Huff Post, Panorama, Sunday Times, Croydon Insider, Mail on Sunday and others by emailing your MP and demanding an immediate public enquiry. Here is the link to your MP's email. [www.writetothem.com] If you are short of time , just cut and paste this message and send it on
All of us should now echo the concerns of the ex members, families of members, Steve Reed, professionals, concerned menbers of the public, vloggers, bloggers, exposers, journalists, including those at Huff Post, Panorama, Sunday Times, Croydon Insider, Mail on Sunday and others by emailing your MP and demanding an immediate public enquiry. Here is the link to your MP's email. [www.writetothem.com] If you are short of time , just cut and paste this message and send it on
Re: Spacnation
Posted by:
Loriwoke
()
Date: January 07, 2020 03:47AM
Questions to be asked in the Commons over SPAC Nation
Posted on January 6, 2020by insidecroydon
Questions are to be asked in the House of Commons on Wednesday about the lack of police action over the controversial, cult-like “Church of Bling”, SPAC Nation.
[insidecroydon.com]
SPAC Nation leader Tobi Adegboyega (right) at the Tory conference with Conservative Mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey
Croydon North MP Steve Reed OBE has been granted an adjournment debate, straight after the first Prime Minister’s Questions of 2020, which he has tabled as “SPAC Nation and the alleged exploitation of young people”.
SPAC – which stands for Salvation Proclaimers Anointed Church – is run by a former property investor Tobi Adegboyega.
“Bling-loving” Adegboyega, who styles himself “pastor”, based himself in a £2.5million mansion with its own swimming pool, on a private estate in the Shirley Hills.
The church also runs more than 20 refuge houses – which the church calls TRAP Houses, without any intention of irony – for young people involved in knife crime, drugs and gangs.
Last year it raised £1.17million from “Tithes and Offerings”, according to the church’s own accounts – much of it raised by demanding its congregation members make regular and large donations – in some cases as much as £1,000 per week. Pastors have been recorded urging church-goers to provide “seed” by any means possible, even stating that they should “beg, borrow or steal”.
SPAC Nation is registered as a charity.
In November, Inside Croydon broke the news that SPAC Nation was subject to investigation by Scotland Yard’s Fraud Squad, as well as at least one multi-national bank, over claims that some of its church leaders had been taking out business loans using the identities of young congregation members.
Further serious allegations have since emerged of wide-ranging abuse, including sexual abuse, while the Charity Commission is investigating SPAC over alleged abuses of its charitable status, including failures with accounting and its overt involvement in politics. In November, a SPAC Nation pastor, Jayde Edwards, stood as the Conservative candidate in a Croydon council by-election.
But by the end of last year, Reed was expressing his concerns over the lack of decisive action by the police over the activities of SPAC Nation. Following a BBC Panorama investigation, Reed handed over a dossier of evidence from more than a dozen witnesses, some of whom claimed to have been abused. Yet no arrests had been made by the police.
Steve Reed OBE: questions to be asked in the House of Commons
As well as allegations of widespread fraud, encouraging young people to commit benefit fraud or to hand over their student loans, Reed says he has received troubling reports of child sexual abuse committed at the church’s TRAP houses.
The MP says that the TRAP houses are where the church grooms and practises “brain-washing” of the young church-goers.
“Young people are pressurised into having sex with older pastors, in some cases under the age of consent,” Reed said.
“In one case, there is a serious allegation of an offence against a child.”
On Wednesday, with the protection of parliamentary immunity, Reed will address the Commons and is likely to outline further allegations, while he is expected to seek explanations from the Metropolitan Police and Director of Public Prosecutions over the apparent lack of urgency and action despite the mounting and compelling evidence against senior members of SPAC Nation.
You can help to support Inside Croydon’s award-winning, news-breaking journalism, and get money-off offers, exclusive content and priority booking for special events. Click here to find out more
Inside Croydon Events: click here for details of hundreds of events in and around Croydon
If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or what to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
Inside Croydon is a member of the Independent Community News Network
Inside Croydon works together with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and BBC London News
Inside Croydon named Journalist of the Year at 2018 Anna Kennedy Online Autism Heroes Awards
ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: For two consecutive years, 2017 and 2018, Inside Croydon has been the source for two award-winning nominations in Private Eye magazine’s annual celebration of civic cock-ups
Inside Croydon had 1.6million pages viewed by 721,000 unique visitors in 2019
Posted on January 6, 2020by insidecroydon
Questions are to be asked in the House of Commons on Wednesday about the lack of police action over the controversial, cult-like “Church of Bling”, SPAC Nation.
[insidecroydon.com]
SPAC Nation leader Tobi Adegboyega (right) at the Tory conference with Conservative Mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey
Croydon North MP Steve Reed OBE has been granted an adjournment debate, straight after the first Prime Minister’s Questions of 2020, which he has tabled as “SPAC Nation and the alleged exploitation of young people”.
SPAC – which stands for Salvation Proclaimers Anointed Church – is run by a former property investor Tobi Adegboyega.
“Bling-loving” Adegboyega, who styles himself “pastor”, based himself in a £2.5million mansion with its own swimming pool, on a private estate in the Shirley Hills.
The church also runs more than 20 refuge houses – which the church calls TRAP Houses, without any intention of irony – for young people involved in knife crime, drugs and gangs.
Last year it raised £1.17million from “Tithes and Offerings”, according to the church’s own accounts – much of it raised by demanding its congregation members make regular and large donations – in some cases as much as £1,000 per week. Pastors have been recorded urging church-goers to provide “seed” by any means possible, even stating that they should “beg, borrow or steal”.
SPAC Nation is registered as a charity.
In November, Inside Croydon broke the news that SPAC Nation was subject to investigation by Scotland Yard’s Fraud Squad, as well as at least one multi-national bank, over claims that some of its church leaders had been taking out business loans using the identities of young congregation members.
Further serious allegations have since emerged of wide-ranging abuse, including sexual abuse, while the Charity Commission is investigating SPAC over alleged abuses of its charitable status, including failures with accounting and its overt involvement in politics. In November, a SPAC Nation pastor, Jayde Edwards, stood as the Conservative candidate in a Croydon council by-election.
But by the end of last year, Reed was expressing his concerns over the lack of decisive action by the police over the activities of SPAC Nation. Following a BBC Panorama investigation, Reed handed over a dossier of evidence from more than a dozen witnesses, some of whom claimed to have been abused. Yet no arrests had been made by the police.
Steve Reed OBE: questions to be asked in the House of Commons
As well as allegations of widespread fraud, encouraging young people to commit benefit fraud or to hand over their student loans, Reed says he has received troubling reports of child sexual abuse committed at the church’s TRAP houses.
The MP says that the TRAP houses are where the church grooms and practises “brain-washing” of the young church-goers.
“Young people are pressurised into having sex with older pastors, in some cases under the age of consent,” Reed said.
“In one case, there is a serious allegation of an offence against a child.”
On Wednesday, with the protection of parliamentary immunity, Reed will address the Commons and is likely to outline further allegations, while he is expected to seek explanations from the Metropolitan Police and Director of Public Prosecutions over the apparent lack of urgency and action despite the mounting and compelling evidence against senior members of SPAC Nation.
You can help to support Inside Croydon’s award-winning, news-breaking journalism, and get money-off offers, exclusive content and priority booking for special events. Click here to find out more
Inside Croydon Events: click here for details of hundreds of events in and around Croydon
If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or what to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
Inside Croydon is a member of the Independent Community News Network
Inside Croydon works together with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and BBC London News
Inside Croydon named Journalist of the Year at 2018 Anna Kennedy Online Autism Heroes Awards
ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: For two consecutive years, 2017 and 2018, Inside Croydon has been the source for two award-winning nominations in Private Eye magazine’s annual celebration of civic cock-ups
Inside Croydon had 1.6million pages viewed by 721,000 unique visitors in 2019
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