By KAREN SLOAN

The Brunswick News

The leader of a religious cult who claims to be from another galaxy will face child-molesting charges in federal court in Brunswick, U.S. District Court Judge Ashley Royal ruled Wednesday.

Malachi York, 58, the head of the United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors, could go to trial as soon as January.

York moved to Putnam County, just north of central Georgia, from New York in 1993 and has come under intense scrutiny from local and state authorities and the FBI.

The trial is being moved to Brunswick from Macon because of pre-trial publicity.

When it gets here, police can expect a significant number of York's followers to show up at the federal courthouse on Gloucester Street in downtown Brunswick, Macon Police Department spokesperson Melanie Hofman said.

About 100 York supporters gathered Friday outside the federal courthouse in Macon during a plea hearing.

"Other than just having a large crowd there, we didn't have any problems with violence or anything like that," said Hofman. "They basically just had picnics and played music outside of the courthouse."

The trial comes as a surprise to Brunswick police. The department has not been officially notified of the trial location change, said Sgt. Kevin Jones of the Brunswick Police Department

U.S. Marshals inspected the federal courthouse in Brunswick and found it acceptable to host the high-profile trial.

York was arrested May 8, 2002, and initially pled guilty to 74 counts of child molestation and related charges, as well as one count of transporting children across state lines for sexual purposes, in return for a recommended 15-year prison sentence. The plea was rejected by U.S. District Court Judge Hugh Lawson, who said the sentence was not harsh enough for the crimes. Lawson then removed himself from the case and Royal took over. Through his attorneys, York withdrew his guilty plea.

It was former followers of York, both children and adults, who accused him of molesting them. York is also facing charges of avoiding financial reporting requirements.

According to the federal indictment, a woman considered to be York's main wife, Kathy Johnson, is also facing charges of transporting children across state lines for sexual purposes.

The United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors currently has a 467-acre compound in Putnam County, and in addition to claiming to have been from another galaxy, has claimed to be of American Indian and Egyptian heritage.

In Nuwaubian literature, the group refers to York as a its god or savior. The group now refers to York as Chief Black Thunderbird, and call him the leader Yamassee Native American Moors of the Creek Nation.