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Pastor sexually assaulted and trafficked women and children of his Oklahoma church

The Blaze
2 days 22 hours ago


An Oklahoma pastor claimed to be a part of the notorious MS-13 criminal gang in order to coerce members of his flock to work for him without pay.

Elmer Baca Flores, 41, told his church members to quit their jobs and work for him, according to a post from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.

'As parents, we have to be hypervigilant about protecting them. Ninety percent of the time, children are abused by someone they know, love, and trust.'

Officers interviewed several people who said their family members had gone to church and didn't come back home. Flores used his influence as a spiritual leader to coerce the members to leave their families.

The scheme was first reported after a family told police their daughter had been sexually abused.

"One victim told Agents that Flores gave her a test to prove her ability to resist temptation. During this test, the victim was sexually battered by Flores," said Mark Woodward, a public information officer with the OBN.

"Flores used his influence as a pastor to spiritually coerce the victims by targeting their religious convictions," Woodward added.

Flores was arrested in April 2025 and booked on three charges of lewd conduct with a child.

Six months later, the charges were amended to include human trafficking for labor and one count of sexual battery.

On Tuesday, he was convicted of 13 counts of human trafficking for labor as well as various child sex charges.

He was sentenced to 30 years in prison and will have to register as a sex offender. He also faces deportation.

He called his church the "Ministerio Levantando Adoradores Para Cristo Inc.," which was based in his home. A sign of the church from a KOCO-TV report indicated that it was Pentecostal.

RELATED: Pastor allegedly tried to meet minor for sex — he ran for Congress as a Democrat and was an NAACP leader

The OBN said Flores' conviction for human trafficking for forced labor was the first such conviction in the state of Oklahoma.

"I appreciate the amazing work by our Human Trafficking Unit and the Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office in this landmark case," OBN Director Donnie Anderson said. "And I applaud the bravery of these victims for coming forward to hold their trafficker accountable."

Stacy McNeiland, the founder of ROAR at the Care Center, told KOCO that parents need to be vigilant against predators manipulating their children.

"As parents, we have to be hypervigilant about protecting them. Ninety percent of the time, children are abused by someone they know, love, and trust,” McNeiland said.

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Carlos Garcia

This two-time World Series champion is exactly the kind of immigrant conservatives want to see

The Blaze
2 days 22 hours ago


Conservatives get smeared as anti-immigrant, but the truth is simple: They want people who come here legally, respect the process, and actually want to become Americans. Miguel Rojas is exactly that immigrant.

BlazeTV host Pat Gray played a clip of the newly retired Dodgers infielder and two-time World Series champion explaining how he approached the U.S. citizenship test he passed last month.

When asked by reporters if he was nervous about the test, Rojas didn’t flinch: “No, I wasn’t nervous because I was prepared.”

“I felt like I was ready for it. I didn't know what to expect because it's kind of like my first time going into a conference room with an official … but at the end of the day, I knew all the 100 questions, and I knew the answers,” he added confidently.

Rojas then expressed pride in becoming an American.

“It makes me feel really special, really proud because of my family, because of my kids, because of what I've been doing the last 21 years in this country. This country opened their doors to me to be a professional baseball player, and kind of I took that opportunity as a life opportunity as well, and I don't take it for granted,” he said.

He also noted that he was glad that the person who administered his citizenship test didn’t recognize him because he did not want to be shown any “preference.”

“Because this process has nothing to do with baseball. I felt like as a citizen, as a human being, I always wanted to be a good person off the field and not let my performance influence anything because we all know how hard this game can be and how high you can be and how low you can be one day,” Rojas explained. “So I don't want to be kind of like judged by my performance on the field. I want to be judged by the person who I am and my preparation.”

Pat is delighted by Rojas’ response.

“That’s what you like to see is an immigrant who’s doing it the right way, came here legally … appreciates his opportunities here, appreciates the country, loves the country, wants to be a part of it,” he raves.

“Doesn’t need an interpreter,” adds co-host Jeffy, highlighting Rojas’ excellent English.

“People like that, you welcome with open arms. … It’s great to have you here,” says Pat.

To see the clip of Rojas and hear more of Pat and the panel’s commentary, watch the episode above.

Want more from Pat Gray?

To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

BlazeTV Staff

ESCAPE FROM LA: Think Hollywood had problems before? Meet new mayor Nithya Raman.

The Blaze
2 days 23 hours ago


Did somebody cast a “Reducio” spell?

The crowd of trans activists who showed up to protest the opening of London’s new “Harry Potter” flagship store on Wednesday was vanishingly small.

President Donald Trump allowed not only for the midterm elections to proceed, but for his party to take a whupping as a result. Heck of a way to organize a fascist takeover.

Just 16 people.

The protesters were there to denounce “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling, who earned the enmity of the left in 2020 by saying she didn’t align with every element of the trans movement’s agenda.

She’s been under fire ever since and has even received death threats. But while her enemies are unusually loud, they didn’t make much of an impression on the crowds lining up to enter the store.

Variety has the sads over that detail:

The queue — which wrapped around a nearby alleyway — slowly filed into the store, mostly ignoring the protest.

Someone should have whipped out the Palestinian flag. That would have drawn a crowd in London …

‘Sleepy’ Sidney

Here comes another “reimagining” or, in unofficial Hollywood-speak, a new way to wring blood out of an old IP.

Sydney Sweeney is set to star in a retelling of the “Sleepy Hollow” yarn. This time, the story will be told through her character’s lens — she plays Katrina Van Tassel. Now, it’s just called “Hollow.” The film is based on an upcoming feminist novel, and the director is the book’s author — Lindsey Anderson Beer.

Let’s hope Sweeney doesn’t bare any skin during the promotional push for the film …

NBC fetches ‘Files’

Who you gonna call? Ghostbu — Jim Rockford!

There’s a new “Rockford Files” coming our way Jan. 2, as if the previous item wasn’t enough of a warning about Hollywood’s IP addiction. The ’70s detective saga was a keeper, and it boasted one of the best TV theme songs ever (with apologies to “Barney Miller”).

The magic, of course, came from star James Garner. His rugged presence and everyman appeal made the show special. Huge shoes to fill, and it’s up to David Boreanaz to do the honors.

One factor in the “Angel” alum’s favor? He has the blessing of Gigi Garner, the late star’s daughter.

To hype the upcoming show, NBC shelled out big bucks for billboards asking us to call the fictional character. It’s (760) JIM-ROCK, for anyone with a fake case to solve …

Fascism fail

He’s still the worst dictator ever.

President Donald Trump allowed not only for the midterm elections to proceed, but for his party to take a whupping as a result. Heck of a way to organize a fascist takeover.

Nonetheless, the left is still using its pre-election talking points.

All together now ... he’s a dictator! That’s how “The Daily Show” guest Harvard Kennedy School Prof. Erica Chenoweth referred to Trump this week. Imagine paying all that tuition money to expose your young adults to that warped thinking …

RELATED: BASS-ACKWARD: Los Angeles may dump its mayor and move farther left

Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Sly praise

That’s a relief!

“I Play Rocky,” opening in select cities this weekend but nationwide Nov. 20, recalls how Sylvester Stallone battled the odds to star in “Rocky.” Stallone wrote the script, one that the studio in question loved. It wanted a “star” in the title role, though, not a nobody with a speech impediment.

Stallone refused to give up the script unless he got the lead role. “I play Rocky,” he says repeatedly in the new film. Get it?

But the real Stallone wasn’t necessarily eager to see his life on the big screen. He didn’t have a role in the film’s production, although he did give director Peter Farrelly his permission to go forward with the movie.

That said, he has finally seen “I Play Rocky.” He and wife Jennifer Flavin screened it at home.

And? They loved it. Flavin cried. It’s the best news possible for a film that’s generating a huge response from festival audiences.

Will it go the distance in the Oscar race? It’s got a puncher’s chance …

Hollywood ending?

“Say goodbye to Hollywood … say goodbye, my baby,” Billy Joel sang back in 1976. The tune comes to mind following the recent L.A. mayoral race. The city traded out its inept progressive Mayor Karen Bass for democratic socialist Nithya Raman.

She has no executive experience and bows to the altar of DSA Nation. That didn’t stop Hollywood stars like Tina Fey, Colin Jost, Mindy Kaling, and director Nicholas Stoller from supporting Raman’s campaign.

That means a town on the edge of collapse — Hollywood — just voted to get it gooder and harder.

Maybe the next rebooted IP should be “Escape from L.A.” It might end up as a documentary.

Christian Toto