The 75-year-old pedophile, Tony Alamo, whose real name is Bernie Hoffman, was convicted in July on a 10-count federal indictment covering offenses that spanned 11 years, and dated back to 1994. He was sentenced to consecutive terms, effectively ensuring Bernie remains in federal custody for the rest of his life.
On Friday, Judge Harry F. Barnes of Federal District Court located in Texarkana, Arkansas, said that the self-proclaimed prophet had abused his status as a father figure and pastor and had threatened the five innocent girls with “the loss of their salvation,” if they did not consent to his sexual perversions.
“Mr. Alamo, one day you will face a higher, a greater judge than me,” Judge Barnes said. “May he have mercy on your soul.”
The evangelist offered a brief statement to the court praising God, then adding, “I’m glad I’m me and not the deceived people in the world.”
Bernie’s lawyers said they planned to appeal the sentence.
A woman Bernie took as a child “bride” at age 8 challenged him from the witness stand on Friday to submit himself to God’s judgment. Reading from lined notebook paper, the brave woman, who is now an adult, said Bernie had torn her family apart and described how she shook uncontrollably when he first molested her.
“You preyed on innocent children,” she said, courageously staring down Bernie, who wore yellow prison scrubs and a windbreaker for the hearing.
“You have the audacity to ask for mercy,” she said. “What mercy did you show us?”
Christopher Plumlee, assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, welcomed the sentence.
"Given the number of victims and the difficult type of testimony they had to provide in order to get to trial, it's gratifying for them to see him get this sentence," he said. "Not only did they entrust their lives to him, he did it in the name of God. And he betrayed their trust."
Authorities in September 2008 arrested Bernie, during a raid of his 15-acre compound near Texarkana.
As he did throughout his prosecution, Bernie accused his victims of lying.
“They're just trying to make our church look evil...by saying I'm a pornographer. Saying that I rape little children...I love children. I don't abuse them. Never have. Never will,” Bernie has said in a telephone interview prior to his trial.
Bernie, who has made millions through his Tony Alamo Christian Ministries, must also pay $250,000 in fines. The evangelist will stay in Texarkana pending a Jan. 13 hearing in which Judge Barnes will decide whether Bernie’s victims deserve restitution from him. Bernie will then go to a federal prison, the judge said.
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