A Turkish Islamic
televangelist was sentenced to 1075 years in jail on Monday in relation
to various sex crimes, including abuse of minors and political espionage, AFP
reported.

Adnan Oktar, who is known for preaching conservative
religious views while surrounded with scantily dressed women on TV, operated a
cult whose members were accused of major offences including sex crimes, money
laundering and even espionage.

A Turkish court found him guilty on various charges
ranging from sexual assault, sexual abuse of minors to fraud and attempted
political and military espionage, the private NTV broadcaster reported.

The 64-year-old was booked in June 2018 as part of a
crackdown on his group by the financial crimes unit of the Istanbul police.

According to Anadolu news agency, around 236 suspects have
been on trial in the case, 78 of whom are under arrest.

The court hearings revealed some appalling details that
explain the depth of all the gruesome sex crimes he was a part of.

Oktar, during the trial December told the presiding judge
that he had close to 1,000 girlfriends.

“There is an overflowing of love in my heart for
women. Love is a human quality. It is a quality of a Muslim,” he said in
another hearing in October.

As far as Oktar’s crime history is concerned, he first
came to public light in the 1990s when a sect ran by him was caught up in
multiple sex scandals.

One of the victims at his trial, identified only as CC,
told the court that Oktar had repeatedly sexually abused her and other women
and forced them to take contraceptive pills.

As many as 69,000 contraception pills were found in his
home during the police investigation on which Oktar said they were used to
treat skin disorders and menstrual irregularities

In 2011 Oktar started his online television channel by the
name of A9 inviting tremendous condemnation by Turkey’s religious leaders. He
used the channel to propagate conservative teaching while several scantily
dressed women, who he called his ‘kittens’, danced around him.