Hosanna Church Update - Charges Put on Hold

New charges in church case on hold

Florida parishes bureau

AMITE -- Plans to seek new indictments for some of the members of a Ponchatoula church accused of having sex with children were put on hold Friday because of a lack of a quorum for the grand jury, prosecutors said.

The 21st Judicial District Attorney's Office will seek the indictments on Monday at the Tangipahoa Parish Courthouse in Amite, Assistant District Attorney Don Wall said. At least nine of the 12 jurors must be present to have a quorum, he said.

The new indictments the grand jury will be asked to hand down don't reflect new evidence or suspects, but are sought to correct the dates during which the alleged crimes occurred.

Seven members of the now-closed Hosanna Church were indicted in June on numerous counts of aggravated rape. The crimes allegedly were committed in 2000 and 2001, investigators said.

The two-month investigation by the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office covered the accusation of rape of three children by church members from 1999 to 2003.

More on the history of this case:

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