A former Houston missionary once hyped in some church circles as “the holiest man alive” is now headed to prison for three decades, with no chance of parole. The 30-year sentence, handed down in McLennan County on Thursday, capped a yearslong investigation into the sexual abuse of boys that rattled campus ministries across Texas and triggered a wave of civil lawsuits.
In a McLennan County courtroom, 70-year-old Daniel Savala pleaded guilty to one count of continuous trafficking of persons and received a 30-year sentence without parole, according to the Houston Chronicle. Prosecutors said the plea deal tied up the criminal case that centered on a 2021 incident involving minors and campus ministry leaders who brought students to Savala's Houston home.
How Prosecutors Say The Abuse Worked
Arrest warrants and reporting by NBC News describe a disturbing scene in 2021. Former Chi Alpha campus pastor Christopher Hundl allegedly brought his two young sons, then 11 and 12, to Savala's house and told them to undress and masturbate while Savala touched one boy's genitals. Court documents and police statements outline a pattern of sauna sessions that Savala pitched as a form of spiritual discipline, behavior survivors say the ministry culture had long normalized.
Decades Of Warnings, A Short Alaska Stint
Savala has been accused by at least eight men and is named in multiple civil complaints that say he spent years grooming and abusing young men connected to Texas college ministries. In a victim impact statement reported by the Houston Chronicle, one survivor told him in court, “You are not the ‘holiest man alive’... You are a charlatan.”
It was not Savala's first criminal case. He previously pleaded guilty in 2012 to a third-degree sexual abuse charge in Ketchikan, Alaska, and served about 90 days in jail, according to court records and prior reporting. Survivors have long pointed to that brief stint behind bars as proof that earlier warnings were not taken seriously enough.
What Texas Law Brings To The Table
Under Texas law, the charge of “continuous trafficking of persons” kicks in when banned conduct happens two or more times over a period of at least 30 days and is treated as a first-degree felony. Punishments range from 25 years to life in prison, according to Texas Penal Code §20A.03. State rules can also block parole for certain trafficking convictions, which is why Savala's 30-year term was handed down without a chance at early release.
Cases Still Pending And Calls For Answers
Savala's guilty plea closes one major chapter, but the broader legal fallout is far from over. The criminal case against former campus pastor Christopher Hundl remains active in McLennan County, according to KWTX. At the same time, multiple civil lawsuits that name Chi Alpha chapters and Assemblies of God leaders are winding their way through Texas courts, KBTX reports.
Survivors and advocates say the 30-year sentence is a start, not an end point. They continue to push for independent investigations into how campus ministry leaders handled earlier warnings about Savala, and why it took so long for the criminal justice system to catch up with a man some once held up as a spiritual role model.
