LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A federal appeals court has upheld the convictions of evangelist Tony Alamo, who was sentenced to 175 years in prison on sex charges.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a nine-page opinion Thursday affirming Alamo's sentence.
The 76-year-old Alamo was convicted in July 2009 of 10 violations of the federal Mann Act, which prohibits taking someone across state lines for "any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense." He was sentenced in November 2009 and is being held at a federal prison in Terre Haute, Ind.
The appeals court ruled Alamo knowingly traveled with the underage girls so he could sexually exploit them. The order says Alamo "orchestrated and controlled their travel" so that they would be available for sexual purposes.
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