Prominent faith mentor pleads guilty to abusing boys, receives 30-year sentence

A former Chi Alpha mentor within the Assemblies of God pleaded guilty to continuous trafficking of persons for sexually abusing two boys and was sentenced to 30 years in prison with no parole, effectively a life term. The case highlighted decades of warnings by church leaders that were ignored, allowing Savala to mentor students in Texas while past abuse allegations persisted, prompting calls for accountability within the denomination.