A gray-haired Texas Christian missionary who preached “nudity is unity” to the boys he sexually abused — sometimes in front of their parents — learned Thursday he’ll likely die behind bars.
Daniel Savala, 70, was sentenced to 30 years in prison — an effective life sentence — as he emotionlessly entered a guilty plea to one count of continuous trafficking of persons.
The creep was handed down the agreed-upon sentence by Judge Susan Kelly, with no possibility of parole.
The charge Savala pleaded to — after reaching a deal with prosecutors — is meant to punish anyone who carries out a pattern of sexual exploitation of more than one victim for some duration of time.
“I don’t expect he will ever see the light of day again,” said McLennan County District Attorney Josh Tetens, according to a report by NBC News. “And that is justice in this case.”
Savala — the one-time missionary of the Chi Alpha Campus Ministry referred to as “the holiest man alive” by other pastors — was accused of sexually abusing two boys in the 2023 criminal case.
He allegedly ran a mysterious ministry out of his home using his backyard sauna as a pretext to get boys and young men naked as he preached “nudity is unity.”
Specifically, a Waco pastor and one of Savala’s followers brought his 11- and 12-year-old sons to Savala’s home in 2021 where the youngsters were told to undress in the sauna before Savala sexually assaulted them in front of their dad. The father is also facing pending charges.
Savala — who had no formal training or legitimate credentials — has been accused in lawsuits, one other criminal case, and by whistleblowers of sexually assaulting at least eight others.
One of Savala’s accusers, Joseph Cleveland, at the sentencing called him “a deceitful, evil” pedophile.
“You’re not the ‘holiest man alive.’ You’re not a ‘guru.’ You’re not even a man of God. You’re a charlatan,” Cleveland blasted Savala as he choked up.
A group of other accusers was also present for the hearing.
In 2012, Savala was convicted in a child sex abuse case in Alaska for which he served a short jail stint.
The lawsuits have accused Pentecostal denomination church Assemblies of God of failing to remove Savala from access to children, despite his prior conviction, allowing him to continue harming boys for decades. The church is accused of ignoring repeated warnings about what Savala was doing.
A spokesperson for the Assemblies of God said it was “pleased” about Savala’s conviction.
“The Assemblies of God stands in strong opposition to the teachings and practices he followed,” the statement said.
The church has previously said that Savala was not officially affiliated with it.