10 Religious Leaders Who Committed Secret Crimes

VOICE OVER: Ryan Wild
WRITTEN BY: Francis Ofiaeli

Some of the darkest crimes can hide behind a holy image. In this countdown, we're looking at religious figures who used their influence, trust, and authority to conceal shocking wrongdoing. From sexual abuse and fraud to cult violence and federal indictments, these scandal-ridden leaders left faith communities reeling and exposed the terrifying abuse of power behind the pulpit. Which case stunned you most? Our countdown includes John-Paul Miller, Jimmy Swaggart, Luc Jouret, David Berg, Henry Lyons, Jim Bakker, Warren Jeffs, Shoko Asahara, Sun Myung Moon, and Tony Alamo, among others.

Have an idea you want to see made into a WatchMojo video? Check out our suggest page and submit your idea.

Step up your quiz game by answering fun trivia questions! Love games with friends? Challenge friends and family in our leaderboard! Play Now!

Tags:

religious leaders, secret crimes, religious scandals, pastor scandal, televangelist scandal, cult leaders, abuse of power, fraud scandal, sexual abuse, cyberstalking, racketeering, money laundering, tax evasion, federal indictment, false prophet, spiritual abuse, church scandal, cult crimes, televangelists, WatchMojo, top 10, documentary, true crime, controversial leaders, religious abuse, criminal leaders, mass manipulation, faith scandals,