FOUKE, Ark. — FBI agents and state police raided an evangelist’s headquarters Saturday as part of a child-pornography investigation, and social workers interviewed children who live at the complex in southwestern Arkansas to find out whether they were abused.
The raid at the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries south of Texarkana started an hour before sunset, but state police said no one was arrested. Armed guards regularly patrol the headquarters of the group — which critics call a cult — but there was no resistance as agents moved in, state police said.
In a phone call to The Associated Press from a friend’s house in the Los Angeles area, Tony Alamo — who was once accused of child abuse and has been convicted of tax evasion — denied involvement in pornography.
“We don’t go into pornography; nobody in the church is into that,” Alamo said.
U.S. Attorney Bob Balfe said before the raid that he expected an arrest warrant would be issued later for Alamo.
