- Oct 17, 2011
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Sansue Bee Vang, 58, was found guilty of eight counts of child molestation and three counts of rape following a seven-day trial in February. As part of his sentence, Vang is also required to register as a sex offender, the Butte County district attorney’s office said in a news release.
At the sentencing, Judge Philip Heithecker heard testimony and statements from five of the six named victims that Vang was convicted of abusing.
Vang is the founder, creator and leader of a Hmong religious organization called Kev Ntseeg Leej Niam Kee Tiam Vaj Lis Thum, which can loosely be translated to “belief in the mother.” The organization was originally founded in Appleton, Wis., where it gained a following, and was moved to Fresno in 2015. In 2020, Vang selected families from Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Carolina and Fresno to relocate to Oroville to build a temple at the base of Table Mountain, according to the release.
All of the victims in the case were members of the religious organization. Vang was referred to as the leader or “prophet” of the organization and created the readings, songs and the requirements for the movement, authorities said.
At the sentencing, Judge Philip Heithecker heard testimony and statements from five of the six named victims that Vang was convicted of abusing.
Vang is the founder, creator and leader of a Hmong religious organization called Kev Ntseeg Leej Niam Kee Tiam Vaj Lis Thum, which can loosely be translated to “belief in the mother.” The organization was originally founded in Appleton, Wis., where it gained a following, and was moved to Fresno in 2015. In 2020, Vang selected families from Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Carolina and Fresno to relocate to Oroville to build a temple at the base of Table Mountain, according to the release.
All of the victims in the case were members of the religious organization. Vang was referred to as the leader or “prophet” of the organization and created the readings, songs and the requirements for the movement, authorities said.
