Latest news with #Shinn
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Feds raid TikTok cult pastor Robert Shinn's home amid sex trafficking allegations
Federal agents raided the Tujunga residence of pastor Robert Shinn early Friday morning as part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation linked to allegations spotlighted in the 2024 Netflix documentary Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult. The home, located at 7744 McGroarty Street, was searched at 6 a.m. by officials from the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and El Monte Police Department SWAT. According to authorities, the sealed warrant includes accusations of sex trafficking, mail fraud, tax evasion, money laundering, and pandemic-related schemes. 'U.S. Postal Inspection Service is working closely with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners on this ongoing investigation,' said Postal Inspector Patricia Mendoza. 'This remains an active case.' Robert Shinn is the founder of the Shekinah Church and CEO of 7M Films, a management company that recruits dancers and influencers. In the Netflix docuseries, several former members accused Shinn of coercion, financial exploitation, and unwanted sexual advances. Allegations in Dancing for the Devil included claims that Shinn exercised extreme control over the dancers' lives—managing their money, housing, relationships, and careers. Some also described experiences of grooming and psychological manipulation. Despite the raid, no arrests have been made as of Friday afternoon, and federal officials have not confirmed if charges will follow. The investigation remains ongoing.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
Feds raid California home of ‘TikTok Cult' pastor in sex trafficking, fraud investigation
LOS ANGELES - A home linked to a pastor featured in the Netflix docuseries 'Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult' was raided Friday by federal agents in relation to an investigation into sex trafficking, money laundering and other accusations, according to authorities. Property records show the home in the 7700 block of McGroarty Street in Tujunga is linked to multiple owners, including Robert Shinn, pastor of the Shekinah Church and the subject of a 2024 docuseries. He operates a talent agency that purportedly helps social media stars and TikTok dancers find jobs in Los Angeles. Those featured in the docuseries call Shinn an abusive cult leader. They say he kept them away from their families by telling them that in order to be saved, they had to 'die' to their loved ones who did not follow his teachings. He reportedly told them that if they were 'godly' enough, they would also save their families from damnation. On Friday, agents with the U.S. Postal Service, Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Department of Labor served a warrant at the home around 6 a.m., according to the El Monte Police Department, which provided assistance along with the FBI. The search was related to allegations of sex trafficking, money laundering, tax evasion and COVID-19 pandemic-era-related fraud. SWAT officers were at the scene to assist, according to the El Monte Police Department. Postal Inspector Patricia Mendoza said in a prepared statement that officials will provide more details as the investigation progresses. 'U.S. Postal Inspection Service is working closely with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners on this ongoing investigation. This remains an active case, and we are continuing to gather and review information,' Mendoza said. Law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation say the federal warrant is connected with the alleged cult featured in the Netflix docuseries, but details from the investigation remain under seal in federal court. News footage from KTLA showed several handcuffed people outside the residence, but sources familiar with the investigation say there have not yet been any arrests. On Friday afternoon, the Tujunga home bustled with onlookers, curious neighbors and news vehicles. The gated entrance to the home was visibly twisted and warped, having been rammed by federal agents early that morning, according to neighbors. 'I was getting ready for work when I heard the flash-bangs go off,' said one neighbor, Jake Hartmann. 'Then a loud speaker ... 'You need to come out, hands up.' All the neighbors came out to find FBI, Sheriff's Department and police taking up the whole area.' An open gate is apparently unusual for the home. Several neighbors said that in the few years that the alleged cult lived on the property, it was constantly blocked off. The owner reportedly built higher walls and grew trees to further block views of the home. 'When they moved in, it was weird,' said neighbor Marge Wagner. 'They were very secretive, then they sent out a flyer of what they wanted to do. They said they wanted to do all these things for our community. Like letting scout troops meet at the house, doing prayer meetings at night, letting people swim in the pool. It was so bizarre.' The property is large, wrapping around a street corner and lined with a thick wall of trees. Wagner recalls the owner taking back initial offers for a community space and giving mixed messages on the purpose of the property, a move that confused several in the community. 'The owner instead said in local meetings that they would hold a men's prayer night there every Tuesday,' Wagner said. 'For him to say that it was a church and only have one event a week for men … I thought, this isn't right. Nothing seemed right.' Anthony Jackson, who lived next door for years, interacted with the residents of the property many times. Jackson described the neighborhood as quiet, with mostly older residents, and says he never saw any red flags. '[Shinn's] wife is very nice. I've never seen anything out of the ordinary, heard anything out of the ordinary,' Jackson said. 'So when I saw the charges on the news, I couldn't even believe it. I mean, I still don't believe it.' Others, like Wagner, said they found the standoffish behavior of residents at the property suspicious. 'My daughter said, 'Mom, have you heard about that ... documentary? Mom, you've gotta come over and watch this,' ' Wagner said. 'I didn't feel surprised. They ostracized themselves from people around.' A man who refused to be named exited the property as a Times reporter approached. 'This is all just a misunderstanding,' he said, shaking his head at the damaged gate. 'A misunderstanding that resulted in destroyed property.' In response to a request for an interview, the man replied, 'I don't wanna get caught up in all of this. I just live here. They'll see soon that it was all just a misunderstanding.' It was not immediately clear if Shinn had any legal representation. The docuseries follows former Shekinah Church members who worked with the 7M Films talent agency, which was founded by Shinn in 2021. The series reveals that the dancers who were represented by the talent agency started as social media collaborators who frequently posted dance videos together on TikTok, but that group found themselves attending Bible study with Shinn. Those dancers invited friends to join what eventually became the core group of the alleged cult. Shinn reportedly called himself 'the Man of God' and said his teachings would grant his followers salvation. Times staff writers Brittny Mejia and Kimberly Aguirre contributed to this report. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'TikTok Cult' pastor's home raided by cops in sex trafficking probe
Alleged 'TikTok cult' leader and pastor Robert Shinn has had a property he partly owns raided by officials as part of an investigation into allegations of sex trafficking A home connected to a " TikTok cult" pastor was raided by police as part of a probe into sex trafficking and other criminal activities. The property partially owned by Pastor Robert Shinn was stormed by federal agents from the FBI, the US Postal Service, Department of Labor and IRS and several people were detained. The pastor was the subject of a 2024 Netflix documentary series called "Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult" but the identities of the people arrested are not clear. Officials reportedly raided the California home over allegations of sex trafficking, tax evasion, money laundering, mail fraud, and COVID-19 -related fraud. The raided home was the same property featured on the Netflix show and the warrant is connected with the alleged cult in the docuseries, according to the Los Angeles Times. Helicopter footage from local station KTLA showed at least six people handcuffed, including an older woman and a woman holding a child. Officials entered the home at 6am on Friday morning as a neighbour, in the Tujunga area, said he heard loud bangs, according to the LA Times. The local said: "I was getting ready for work when I heard the flash-bangs go off. Then a loud speaker ... 'You need to come out, hands up.' All the neighbors came out to find FBI, Sheriff's Department and police taking up the whole area." Shinn founded the Shekinah Church in 1994 and helped to create an LA-based talent management agency called 7M Films. This company has been accused of allegedly luring in dancers by telling them they will become famous on TikTok. Some of these dancers allegedly also worked for the church and recruited for the talent management company. Four people who worked for 7M and were part of the Shekinah Church claimed Shinn manipulated and abused them. Some of these people also accused the pastor of sexual assault. Shinn reportedly would call himself "the Man of God" and told followers in the alleged cult that his teachings would grant them salvation. The Netflix docuseries follows former members of the Shekinah Church and how they escaped the alleged cult and rebuilt their lives afterwards. A former member, Dancer Aubrey Fisher, claimed Shinn forced her to give the church 70% of her income - which allegedly included a 10% "man of God fee" for Shinn himself. Another ex-member, Melanie Wilking, went viral in 2022 when she said she was trying to reach her sister Miranda and said she was "no longer in control" of her life. The sisters had a TikTok page that was made when they joined the 7M management company. Shinn has denied claims the Shekinah Church and 7M are affiliated with one another. The alleged cult leader did not personally respond to the Netflix series but 7M released an Instagram post, at the time, which claimed the show referring to the group as a cult were "false statements", according to the LA Times.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Who is Robert Shinn, ‘TikTok cult' leader whose home was raided in federal sex-trafficking probe?
Investigators from at least four federal agencies raided a California home Friday linked to mysterious 'TikTok' cult Pastor Robert Shinn, the founder of a so-called talent agency that allegedly exploited amateur dancers with promises of TikTok stardom. A handful of people were led away from the home — located in Los Angeles' Tujunga neighborhood — in handcuffs, after FBI, IRS, US Postal Service and Labor Department agents swooped in on the residence. However, it was unclear if Shinn, 87, who has been likened to a cult leader, was among them. Advertisement So, who exactly is Shinn? In 1994, he founded the Shekinah Church, a Christian congregation recently profiled in Netflix's documentary series 'Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult' that initially served as a house of worship for Korean Americans in LA. Shinn also owns 7M Films and is associated with several other California businesses, including Shinn Entertainment Corp., IP Random Film, IHD Studio and Glory Bag Records. Advertisement 3 Pastor Robert Shinn has multiple companies and may be worth $15 million. KTLA 5 He shares ownership of the home that was raided Friday with multiple people. A self-proclaimed 'man of God,' Shinn is alleged to have lured dancers to sign with his talent agency, 7M Films. He allegedly assured them he could turn them into TikTok sensations. Instead, Shinn allegedly financially and physically manipulated and abused the dancers, encouraging some of them to disown their families. Advertisement Other dancers have accused Shinn of sexual assault. The church allegedly encouraged members to surrender their time and money in support of its mission to save one billion souls from damnation. 3 It was unclear if Shinn was arrested during Friday's raid. KTLA 5 The warrants served at the house Friday involved allegations of sex trafficking, money laundering, mail fraud, tax evasion and COVID-19-related fraud, according to the Los Angeles Times. Advertisement Still others were forced to join the Shekinah Church and later served as recruiters for 7M. Shinn, who is married to Hannah Shinn, has previously denied claims that the Shenikah Church and 7M are affiliated, TV Insider reported. The Canadian-born Shinn is estimated to be worth $15 million. One of his children, singer-songwriter Kloë Shinn, defected from the church in 2022 with her husband Daniel Joseph, according to Cosmo, which added that he also has two sons, Conrad and Isaiah. Her music has appeared on reality shows like 'Queer Eye' and 'The Real Housewives' as well as the movie 'Random Encounters,' a 2013 film starring Meghan Markle — that was produced by her father. 3 Women have accused Shinn of physical and sexual assault. KTLA 5 Several former dancers and ex-members of the Shekinah Church teamed up to sue Shinn in 2022. The lawsuit alleges exploitation and labor law violations by the church and Shinn, and remains active. In 2009, a woman named Lydia Chung sued Shinn, alleging he'd forced her to turn over $3.8 million in assets through 'undue influence, mind control, coercive persuasion, oppression and other intimidating tactics,' according to the lawsuit. Advertisement She also said the church made her work six days a week, but never paid her. A judge ultimately ruled against her. In 2011, Jung Hee Lee, a former Shekinah member, sued Shinn for allegedly forcing her to work full-time for only a $30 weekly stipend. She won that case, and Shinn was ordered to pay her the compensation she should've received. Shinn himself filed a defamation lawsuit against several former church members after they referred to the organization as a cult, according to CNN.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Netflix's ‘cult' pastor Robert Shinn's home raided in sex-trafficking probe: Who is the viral TikTok preacher?
Federal agents raided a California house on July 27 as part of an investigation into sex trafficking allegations and other serious criminal activities. Robert Shinn, the man behind Netflix's controversial docuseries Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult, is at the centre of the probe. The property in question, located in Tujunga, is partially owned by the preacher. According to the report by the Los Angeles Times, several people working at the property were detained by police on Friday. Also read: Dancing for the Devil – The 7M TikTok Cult review: A creepy pastor brainwashes social media influencers in Netflix's aggravating shock-doc According to the report, agents from the FBI, IRS, US Postal Service, and Department of Labor served warrants on multiple counts to the staff during the early morning of Friday, July 25. These included charges of 'sex trafficking, money laundering, mail fraud, tax evasion, and COVID-19-related fraud,' according to the outlet. In footage from KTLA, at least six individuals were seen being handled by police in handcuffs, and one woman was holding a child. It is yet to be revealed who exactly is part of the investigation. For those who can recall, this is the same house shown in the Netflix docuseries that aired earlier this year and raked in millions of views, going viral for its claims accusing Shinn of running a 'cult' disguised as a talent management firm and religious group. While more details on the incident are yet to be reported, one witness, according to the outlet, heard a flash-bang grenade go off around 6 a.m. Also read: Astronomer's massive paycheck for Gwyneth Paltrow revealed: How much did the company pay Coldplay frontman's ex-wife for crisis playbook deal? Robert Shinn, a self-proclaimed pastor who founded Shekinah Church in 1994. This is the same person who also created 7M Films in 2021, a management company for TikTok dancers. According to the documentary, many dancers were recruited through the firm but were later forced into the Shekinah Church and pressured to cut off contact with their families. Those who were once associated with 7M were featured in the documentary and accused Shinn of manipulation, spiritual abuse to financial exploitation and even sexual assault. According to dancer, Aubrey Fisher, the pastor forced him to give up to 70% of his income to the church, including what he described as 'man of God' fee. Another, Melanie Goldman, said she once witnessed several girls 'screaming at the top of their lungs' inside the church. There is yet another story of a dancer who went viral in 2022 with an emotional Instagram video. Melanie Wilking was heard crying and pleading to her sister Miranda, who she said was 'no longer in control' of her life. The sisters had grown popular on TikTok before Miranda joined 7M and stopped speaking to each other when Melanie left the group. However, they have since reconciled. Despite the backlash and scrutiny, Shinn has denied all claims of abuse or wrongdoing. According to him, both the church and 7M are different entities. Back in 2022, he even filed a defamation lawsuit against several former members who publicly referred to his organisation as a cult. In the Netflix documentary, Shinn's legal team stated that no criminal charges have been filed against him. However, now, the federal raid suggests law enforcement is looking into the allegations more seriously. As of now, the investigation is ongoing, and federal officials say they are continuing to collect information. No charges have been filed yet
