An Oroville man and accused cult leader was sentenced to 225 years in prison Tuesday for molesting four young girls and raping two women from the group, authorities said.
Sansue Bee Vang, 58, was found guilty of eight counts of child molestation and three counts of rape following a seven-day trial in February. As part of his sentence, Vang is also required to register as a sex offender, the Butte County Dist. Atty.’s Office said in a press release.
At the sentencing, Judge Philip Heithecker heard testimony and statements from five of the six named victims that Vang was convicted of abusing.
“All the women commented on the lasting impact the sexual assaults had on their lives,” the press release said. “They told the judge that Vang’s actions continue to impact their mental health and their relationships with their families.”
The charges originated from a disclosure in 2024, when an 11-year-old and her mother came forward saying they were sexually assaulted by Vang. The subsequent investigation identified four additional women who testified against Vang, authorities said.
Vang is the founder, creator and leader of a Hmong religious organization called Kev Ntseeg Leej Niam Kee Tiam Vaj Lis Thum, which can loosely be translated to “belief in the mother.” The organization was originally founded in Appleton, Wis., where it gained a following and was moved to Fresno in 2015. In 2020, Vang selected families from Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Carolina and Fresno to relocate to Oroville in order to build a temple at the base of Table Mountain, according to the press release.
Each of the victims in the case were members of the religious organization. Vang was referred to as the leader or “prophet” of the organization and created the readings, songs and the requirements for the movement, authorities said.
During the trial, evidence was presented that showed the breadth of Vang’s sexual assaults against the women and girls.
In one instance, the child testified that the molestations got more intense over time, and Vang went as far as to “threaten to beat” her if she were to disclose the violent acts, the evidence presented at the trial alleged.
In another instance, a woman was forced to have sexual intercourse with Vang, otherwise, as the prophet, “he could see that terrible things would happen to her family and the Hmong community if she did not comply,” documents allege.
Despite the life sentence handed down by the court, which is the maximum allowed by law in this case, Vang could be eligible for parole in 20 years under a California law that allows for those aged 50 years or older to qualify for release after 20 years of “continuous incarceration,” according to a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation fact sheet. Vang would be 78 when he would first qualify for parole.
