TAMPA, Fla. - Bridget Walton’s son, Patrick, was just a college student when he was swept into what federal agents now call a scheme to use religion and a massive church following to cover up a series of crimes .

He spent six years inside the Kingdom of God Global Church. Authorities said the church was operating as a front for forced labor, human trafficking and financial exploitation. Federal agents arrested the church’s leader, David E. Taylor, and Executive Director, Michelle Brannon, this week.

Walton said Patrick came home in 2022 suffering from trauma, but not realizing he was a victim. For three more years, Patrick defended Taylor.

This week, following Taylor’s arrest and the release of a federal indictment, Patrick finally admitted what his mother had feared all along: "I d

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