A house linked to a pastor featured within the Netflix docuseries “Dancing for the Satan: The 7M TikTok Cult” was raided Friday by federal brokers in relation to an investigation into intercourse trafficking, cash laundering and different accusations, in response to authorities.
Property information present the house within the 7700 block of McGroarty Avenue in Tujunga is linked to a number of homeowners, together with Robert Shinn, pastor of the Shekinah Church and the topic of a 2024 docuseries. He operates a expertise company that purportedly helps social media stars and TikTok dancers discover jobs in Los Angeles.
For the document:
6:03 p.m. July 25, 2025A earlier model of this story incorrectly recognized the pastor of the Shekinah Church. His first identify is Robert.
These featured within the docuseries name Shinn an abusive cult chief. They are saying he stored them away from their households by telling them that with a purpose to be saved, they needed to “die” to their family members who didn’t comply with his teachings. He reportedly advised them that in the event that they have been “godly” sufficient, they’d additionally save their households from damnation.
Early Friday morning, the McGroarty Avenue property in Tujunga related to “Tiktok Cult” was raided by federal officers. The officers reportedly rammed the 2 gates of the property, above.
(Katerina Portela / Los Angeles Occasions)
On Friday, brokers with the U.S. Postal Service, Inside Income Service and U.S. Division of Labor served a warrant on the dwelling round 6 a.m., in response to the El Monte Police Division, which offered help together with the FBI.
The search was associated to allegations of intercourse trafficking, cash laundering, tax evasion and COVID-19 pandemic-era-related fraud. SWAT officers have been on the scene to help, in response to the El Monte Police Division.
Postal Inspector Patricia Mendoza mentioned in a ready assertion that officers will present extra particulars because the investigation progresses.
“U.S. Postal Inspection Service is working intently with our native, state, and federal regulation enforcement companions on this ongoing investigation. This stays an energetic case, and we’re persevering with to collect and evaluation info,” Mendoza mentioned.
Regulation enforcement sources aware of the investigation say the federal warrant is related with the alleged cult featured within the Netflix docuseries, however particulars from the investigation stay beneath seal in federal courtroom.
Information footage from KTLA confirmed a number of handcuffed individuals exterior the residence, however sources aware of the investigation say there haven’t but been any arrests.
On Friday afternoon, the Tujunga dwelling bustled with onlookers, curious neighbors and information automobiles. The gated entrance to the house was visibly twisted and warped, having been rammed by federal brokers early that morning, in response to neighbors.
“I used to be preparing for work once I heard the flash-bangs go off,” mentioned one neighbor, Jake Hartmann. “Then a loud speaker … ‘You must come out, palms up.’ All of the neighbors got here out to seek out FBI, Sheriff’s Division and police taking over the entire space.”
An open gate is outwardly uncommon for the house. A number of neighbors mentioned that within the few years that the alleged cult lived on the property, it was continuously blocked off. The proprietor reportedly constructed larger partitions and grew bushes to additional block views of the house.
“Once they moved in, it was bizarre,” mentioned neighbor Marge Wagner. “They have been very secretive, then they despatched out a flyer of what they needed to do. They mentioned they needed to do all these items for our neighborhood. Like letting scout troops meet on the home, doing prayer conferences at evening, letting individuals swim within the pool. It was so weird.”
McGroarty Avenue resident Jake Hartmann says that not lengthy after accused property proprietor Robert Israel Shinn moved on his avenue, he acquired this flyer, proven on Friday. Hartmann mentioned one other neighbor was circulating the flyers to warn the road of the alleged crimes occurring subsequent door.
(Katerina Portela / Los Angeles Occasions)
The property is giant, wrapping round a avenue nook and lined with a thick wall of bushes. Wagner remembers the proprietor taking again preliminary provides for a neighborhood house and giving blended messages on the aim of the property, a transfer that confused a number of in the neighborhood.
“The proprietor as a substitute mentioned in native conferences that they’d maintain a males’s prayer evening there each Tuesday,” Wagner mentioned. “For him to say that it was a church and solely have one occasion every week for males … I believed, this isn’t proper. Nothing appeared proper.”
Anthony Jackson, who lived subsequent door for years, interacted with the residents of the property many instances. Jackson described the neighborhood as quiet, with largely older residents, and says he by no means noticed any pink flags.
“[Shinn’s] spouse could be very good. I’ve by no means seen something out of the bizarre, heard something out of the bizarre,” Jackson mentioned. “So once I noticed the fees on the information, I couldn’t even imagine it. I imply, I nonetheless don’t imagine it.”
Others, like Wagner, mentioned they discovered the standoffish habits of residents on the property suspicious.
“My daughter mentioned, ‘Mother, have you ever heard about that … documentary? Mother, you’ve gotta come over and watch this,’ ” Wagner mentioned. “I didn’t really feel stunned. They ostracized themselves from individuals round.”
A person who refused to be named exited the property as a Occasions reporter approached.
“That is all only a misunderstanding,” he mentioned, shaking his head on the broken gate. “A misunderstanding that resulted in destroyed property.”
In response to a request for an interview, the person replied, “I don’t wanna get caught up in all of this. I simply dwell right here. They’ll see quickly that it was all only a misunderstanding.”
It was not instantly clear if Shinn had any authorized illustration.
The docuseries follows former Shekinah Church members who labored with the 7M Movies expertise company, which was based by Shinn in 2021.
The sequence reveals that the dancers who have been represented by the expertise company began as social media collaborators who ceaselessly posted dance movies collectively on TikTok, however that group discovered themselves attending Bible examine with Shinn. These dancers invited pals to affix what ultimately grew to become the core group of the alleged cult. Shinn reportedly referred to as himself “the Man of God” and mentioned his teachings would grant his followers salvation.
Occasions workers writers Brittny Mejia and Kimberly Aguirre contributed to this report.
