My Mother Wrote the Horrific CSA Handbook for Children of God Cult

CW: CSA, SA, ChiId Traff*cking

David Brandt Berg, also known as King David, Dad, or Grandpa to followers, was the founder and leader of the cult generally known as the ChiIdren of God. In 1968 it began as a new religious movement focused on spreading the Christian message. As the decades progressed, the group targeted vulnerable people and devolved as a counter to purity culture in which Berg pushed the idea that God is love, and love is s*x, therefore members should have s*x with everyone. COG attracted the attention of the international media, and a British court case would find the group to be an authoritarian cult which engaged in the systematic physical and s*xual ab*se of chiIdren, resulting in lasting trauma among survivors.

Today’s guest, Serena Kelley, was born and raised in the cult, and along with her mother, Sara, were two of the select few people in David Berg’s inner circle. When Ricky Rodriguez (another chiId within the cult) was ten months old, Berg asked Sara, one of Ricky's nannies, to start creating a document titled "The Davidito Book" (also referred to as "The Story of Davidito"). The book contains descriptions of adults CSA-ing Rodriguez, describing this ab*se in a "celebratory" tone. Serena’s mother would end up writing the horrific CSA handbook for the Children of God Cult, and was even proud of the fact, becoming known as “Sara Davidito”.

Serena recounts what it was like growing up in the cult, alongside her brainwashed mother, facing constant mental, physical and s*xual abuse, while being forced to appear in CSA videos, and how at the age of 3, Serena was “given” to Berg as a chiId bride and told she was going to be his forever.

Watch pt 2 of Serena’s interview:    • 3 Year Old Bride to Cult Leader Speak...  

Serena dives further, answering your questions LIVE: https://www.youtube.com/live/HAIQCwWT...

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website: https://serenakelley.com/

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Chapter Marks

00:00:00 Intro
00:03:07 Children of God, explained
00:06:34 How Serena's mother got involved with the Children of God
00:10:45 CW: CSA, Serena Explains Children of God CSA Origins & Practices
00:15:26 CW: CSA, Serena Shares her mother's involvement with creating a CSA Manuscript
00:20:00 CW: CSA, SA, Serena Shares Her Earliest Memories in the Children of God Cult
00:26:53 CW: CA, CSA, Serena Shares About Constant Fear and Her Engagement as a Toddler
00:32:09 CW: SA, CSA, Homophob*a, The Children of God's Bizzarre S*xual Practices & Beliefs
00:36:07 CW: Incest, CSA, C recordings, Serena Shares about Cover-Ups and Beginning to Doubt
00:40:36 CW: CA, ChiId Traff*cking, Serena Shares About Her Time in the Japan Commune
00:48:32 CW: ChiId Traff*cking , Serena Talks about the Fear Tactics Used and Being Traff*cked
00:51:42 CW: CSA, Serena's Transition from Japan to Brazil
00:55:23 CW: CA, Serena Shares About Her "Celebrity Status" and Being Trained to Lie
01:02:52 CW: CA, Bullying, Berg's Death & Cult Leadership Makes Serena's Identity Public
01:10:59 CW: CSA, The Cult's New "Rules" About S*x
01:15:49 Serena Shares How She Escaped King Peter & S*xual Relationships with Adult Men
01:18:07 Linda Listen


Theme Song Produced and Composed by Christian Guevara

*Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.*