He promised them a holy sanctuary. Instead, he built a house of horrors.

A California court sentenced 58-year-old religious leader Sansue Bee Vang to 225 years to life in prison for abusing women and young children in his congregation.

When we look for faith, we look for safety. But for families in one small church, the man they trusted as a prophet became their worst nightmare.

WHAT HAPPENED

Sansue Bee Vang founded a Hmong religious group called "Belief in the Mother." The group moved from Wisconsin to Fresno, and then to a property in Oroville, California. Families moved across states to help build a new temple and community.

Vang told his followers he was a prophet. Prosecutors say he used threats, fear, and spiritual lies to control his members. Inside this community, he abused women and children for years.

In February, a jury found Vang guilty of eleven sex crimes. This month, a judge handed down the maximum sentence of 225 years to life in state prison.

FACT BOX -

What the evidence shows

• One child was abused repeatedly between the ages of 8 and 10.
• Vang threatened physical violence if the young girl told anyone.
• Two adult women testified that Vang raped them.
• Vang warned one victim that disaster would hit the Hmong community if she said no.
• Five victims spoke in court about the deep pain they still carry.

THE BIGGER QUESTION

How do we protect families who move across the country to join private religious groups? When a leader claims to speak for God, it is very hard for victims to speak up or find help.

We must ask how isolated communities can build better safety nets. It should not take years of pain before someone is able to hear these victims and stop the abuse.

THE OTHER SIDE

Vang has not accepted blame for his actions. Court records show he has shown no remorse for what he did to his followers. Since a jury convicted him, his legal defense has very little ground left to stand on.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW

Vang will spend the rest of his life in prison. But some state lawmakers are already worried because he might still have a chance at parole in the future.

For the families in Oroville, the long path to healing is just starting. They must rebuild their lives and their faith after a deep betrayal.

WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW

How did the abuse go unnoticed by other church members for so many years?

• Will state leaders change the parole laws for offenders with life sentences?