YouTube has suspended the official channel of Filipino megachurch pastor Apollo Quiboloy, citing violations of its community guidelines.
The decision comes as Quiboloy faces multiple charges in the United States, including involvement in sex trafficking of young girls.
The action by YouTube was prompted by concerns raised on Twitter by Gaming YouTuber Mutahar, who pointed out that Quiboloy’s channel was still active despite the religious leader’s standing arrest warrant with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Yo someone at @TeamYouTube has to help the feds or shut this account down. Actual human trafficking priest is running a channel still reaching out to victims less than 12 hours ago.
Dude has an FBI warrant out rn. pic.twitter.com/7f98oFpzws
— Mutahar (@OrdinaryGamers) June 19, 2023
Quiboloy, the founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), has been on the FBI’s most wanted list since February 2022 for charges including sex trafficking, fraud, coercion, and bulk cash smuggling.
The FBI alleges that Quiboloy was involved in a labor trafficking scheme that brought church members to the US using fraudulently obtained visas, exploiting them for donations that funded the church’s operations and lavish lifestyles of its leaders.
Apollo Carreon Quiboloy is wanted by the #FBI in Los Angeles, CA, for his role in a labor & sex trafficking scheme that brought victims to America and, among other things, forced them to solicit donations for a bogus charity & enter into sham marriages: https://t.co/q8pNL81Xkm pic.twitter.com/2CEoJRdhsP
— FBI Most Wanted (@FBIMostWanted) February 7, 2022
Despite the charges, Quiboloy has continued to post updates on his social media accounts, including his YouTube channel for “The Kingdom of Jesus Christ” and the YouTube page of his media company SMNI News.
hey, update here: upon review, we’ve determined that the channel is in violation of Community Guidelines & has been terminated
— TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) June 20, 2023
The United States had previously sanctioned Quiboloy in December 2022 for severe human rights breaches and included him on its most wanted list. The US Department of Treasury sanctioned him under the Global Magnitsky Act for his alleged involvement in the sex trafficking of young girls within his religious community.
