| s-1
| Scientology defector arrested after attempting to leave organization |
| s-2
| Saturday, October 9, 2010 |
| s-3
| Recent reports have revealed that a defector from the elite group within Scientology called the Sea Org was first persuaded to travel back to a management building for the organization in California, where he was interrogated by an attorney for Scientology and then arrested. |
| s-4
| Daniel Montalvo in September 2010, after having left the elite group within Scientology called the Sea Org. |
| s-5
| Montalvo is holding a copy of the book Blown for Good critical of Scientology, written by Marc Headley. |
| s-6
| Image: Mark Rathbun. |
| s-7
| Daniel Montalvo, 19, a member of Scientology all his life, was arrested after leaving its elite group the Sea Org. |
| s-8
| He was released on US$ 20,000 bail on Thursday. |
| s-9
| Montalvo was charged with taking hard drives and a zip drive from the Scientology organization after leaving the Sea Org group. |
| s-10
| The Sea Org requires members to sign a billion-year-contract, agreeing to work for the organization founded by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard for multiple lifetimes. |
| s-11
| Members of the Sea Org live a strict lifestyle – with little income, small diet provided and significant time invested in work per day. |
| s-12
| Montalvo had read an article in the Scientology propaganda publication Freedom Magazine, which attacked high-ranking defectors from the organization including Tom Devocht and Mark Rathbun. |
| s-13
| Montalvo had known Devocht personally, and came to the conclusion that the claims made about him in the Freedom article were lies. |
| s-14
| Montalvo was subsequently motivated to seek out information about Scientology on the Internet, and came upon a blog written by Rathbun. |
| s-15
| Montalvo contacted former members of Scientology, who helped him leave the organization and get in touch with Devocht. |
| s-16
| He traveled to Florida to meet with Devocht, who had told Montalvo he would assist him with future employment and housing. |
| s-17
| According to Rathbun the Scientology property in question was returned by mail to the organization by Montalvo shortly after he left the Sea Org. |
| s-18
| Scientology officials have stated they have not received the materials. |
| s-19
| After calling the Scientology organization by phone to attempt to speak with his mother, Montalvo was instead put through to a Scientology attorney, Kendrick Moxon. |
| s-20
| Rathbun wrote, 'Moxon proceeded to lie to Daniel that the hard drives were never returned, and made a convincing case (not difficult to do with a 19 year old who does not even know the three branches of government) that Daniel would be put behind iron bars for a good long time, UNLESS of course, he returned and cooperated with Moxon and routed out properly.' |
| s-21
| To 'route out' in Scientology jargon refers to the member who wishes to leave proceeding through a set of interrogative exit interviews while attached to the Scientology device called the E-meter. |
| s-22
| According to Rathbun, a detective for the Los Angeles Sheriff's office was provided with material from Scientology to build a case against Montalvo. |
| s-23
| Rathbun stated, |
| s-24
| 'Daniel was picked up by an investigator in a black car with blacked out windows. |
| s-25
| Instead of being taken to a hotel, where he could route out as promised, he was taken to the Century City Towers. |
| s-26
| He was deposited in an office on the 33rd floor where a pricy church lawyer interrogated him for two hours.' |
| s-27
| Rathbun asserted that Scientology officials, '... plied the Sheriff's detective with a grand conspiracy theory, characterizing me as the 'anti-christ' of the church of Scientology. ... The next thing Daniel knows he's in a cell where he sat for the next 30 hours.' |
| s-28
| Steve Whitmore, a representative for the LA Sheriff's office, told LA Weekly in a statement that the case involving Montalvo was being dealt with as charges relating to grand theft. |
| s-29
| Whitmore stated Montalvo left Scientology-related employment in Los Angeles on September 24. |
| s-30
| On September 29, Scientology officials went to the East Los Angeles sheriff's station where they claimed Montalvo allegedly left the organization with computer hard drives. |
| s-31
| Whitmore told LA Weekly that on October 6 after traveling back from Florida, Montalvo 'walked into lobby of the East L.A. station and turned himself in', and told the police, 'everything he did'. |
| s-32
| Whitmore stated to LA Weekly that the alleged crime involved five hard drives each of $ 200 in value. |
| s-33
| Montalvo has been assisted by former members of Scientology, including musician Tiziano Lugli and actor Jason Beghe. |
| s-34
| Rathbun requested donations via a statement made on his blog, in order to help Montalvo with his legal defense financing. |
| s-35
| He described Montalvo as an individual, 'facing the penitentiary in thanks for the following sins: a) Leaving a lifehood of slavery to get a taste of freedom and the world. b) Refusing - despite every provocation and incentive and threat - to frame three guys who went out of their ways (and dipped into their pockets) to help the kid achieve that freedom.' |