'Aggressive Christianity' cult leader gets 72 years in prison

KROE, New Mexico/September 26, 2018

By Jackie Kent

Grants, New Mexico -- The leader of a New Mexico Christian cult will spend the rest of her life behind bars for what she did to a child on her compound near Gallup. 

Deborah Green led a cult dubbed the "Aggressive Christian Mission Training Corps." She called herself "the General" and dressed like one.

Green was sentenced Wednesday in district court in Grants right after one of the victims gave emotional testimony about what happened on the compound.

"Emotionally, she broke me as a child to the point where I still today struggle with my own self-confidence, my self-esteem, my sense of worth," the victim said.

The victim further spoke about what she described as years of torture by Green that she continues to struggle recovering from physically and emotionally, adding she's had 11 surgeries to help fix broken bones.

"I'm reminded of how much I have to fight myself every day to not be sunken down into that low place again," the victim said.

The victim asked District Court Judge James Sanchez to give 71-year-old Green the maximum sentence of 108 years. 

Instead, he gave Green 72 years for three counts of child rape, two counts of kidnapping and one count of child abuse. 

At the start of the trial, it was revealed Green was accused of convincing her daughter to take a newborn baby from Uganda in the 1990s. The child was brought to the compound where it was physically and sexually abused. 

The judge had words of encouragement for the victim. 

"A weaker person would not have survived. That means you can continue on being strong," Judge Sanchez said.

The abuse came to light last year when authorities raided the compound in Fence Lake near Gallup and found 11 children. Some of them were as young as 4 years old and being held against their will. 

Cibola County Sheriffs deputies found one child buried who had been dead at least two years. 

This was after a former member came forward claiming she endured years of sexual abuse by Green and Green's son-in-law Peter Green.

CYFD and the Cibola County Sheriff confirm the 11 children taken from the compound are still in CYFD custody. 

Green is still looking at another trial for different charges involving another victim.

Given the long sentence she was given, the DA's office is still deciding if it will take this case to trial, which was set to begin Thursday.