Six individuals related to a Kansas cult have been found guilty in a case involving the mistreatment of children. The cult, previously known as the United Nation of Islam and the Value Creators, forced children to live in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions, work long hours without pay, and endure physical abuse as part of a forced labor conspiracy. The individuals convicted were either high-ranking members of the cult or were wives of the late cult founder, Royall Jenkins.
The guilty verdicts were announced by the U.S. Department of Justice after a 26-day trial, with all six defendants convicted of conspiracy to commit forced labor. One of the defendants, Kaaba Majeed, was also found guilty on five counts of forced labor. FBI Special Agent Stephen Cyrus described the victims, some as young as eight years old, as enduring inhumane conditions under false pretenses and coercion.
Prosecutors revealed that the cult subjected children to beatings, severe dietary restrictions, and other forms of abuse. One victim was reportedly held upside down over train tracks, while another resorted to drinking water from a toilet due to extreme thirst. The cult was previously labeled as such by a federal judge in 2018.
The cult’s founder, Royall Jenkins, who passed away in 2021, had convinced followers that he had been shown the proper way to rule the Earth after an otherworldly experience. The organization, which once had hundreds of followers, operated various businesses across multiple states starting in 2000, utilizing unpaid labor from members and their children.
Children associated with the cult were allegedly kept in cramped and unsanitary living conditions, facing strict rules on their activities, attire, and diet. The indictment also mentioned instances of children being trafficked to different states for work. Punishments included confinement in a dark basement and threats of eternal damnation if they attempted to leave the cult.
In 2018, a federal judge ruled against the cult and ordered them to pay $8 million to a woman who had performed unpaid labor for a decade. The sentencing for the child labor case is scheduled for February, with potential prison terms of up to 20 years for Majeed and up to five years for the other defendants: Yunus Rassoul, James Staton, Randolph Rodney Hadley, Daniel Aubrey Jenkins, and Dana Peach. Two additional co-defendants had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit forced labor. Requests for comment to the defendants’ attorneys did not receive an immediate response.
