Audio programs featuring a Focus on the Family radio producer — arrested Friday on charges he arranged to meet a teenage girl for sex in an Internet chat room — disappeared from the evangelical Christian media empire’s Web site Monday afternoon after news of the man’s arrest broke.
Juan Alberto Ovalle, who listed “radio producer” for “Focus on the Family” on his post-arrest custody report, interviewed Focus officials last month about an upcoming conference highlighting the ministry’s outreach to Spanish speakers across the globe — but soon after The Colorado Independent was able to play the audio files and posted links to the Family Media Center on Monday morning, the files were removed.
“We’re shocked,” a Focus on the Family spokesman told The Denver Post Monday. Gary Schneeberger said the ministry “is beginning its own process of looking into the allegations” and plans to help law enforcement officials with their investigation.
Here’s how the Focus Family Media Center described the missing radio programs:
En esta serie de dos partes, nuestro compañero, Juan Alberto Ovalle, conversa con Sixto Porras, director de Enfoque a la Familia para el Mundo de Habla Hispana, Darrell Eash, director de Alcance Hispano en los Estados Unidos y Daniel Catarisano, conferencista de Enfoque a la Familia, sobre el evento Bienvenido a Casa, el cual se llevará a cabo el 24 y 25 de abril de 2009, en las instalaciones de Focus on the Family, en Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Roughly translated:
In this two part series, our friend, Juan Alberto Ovalle, talks with Sixto Porras, director of Focus on the Family for the Spanish-speaking world, Darrell Eash, director of Hispanic Outreach in the United States and Daniel Catarisano, a Focus on the Family lecturer, about the upcoming Open House, which will be April 24 and 25, 2009, at the headquarters of Focus on the Family, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Ovalle, who founded the Spanish Christian Audio business in 2001 to “help Christian organizations with their audio needs,” also narrated a Spanish-language audio version of the Bible, available on 64 compact discs. As of Monday afternoon, audio recordings of Orvalle reading scripture are still available.
