In part two of Lola & Meagan's interview with Bride of Christ Church survivor Zacch Comfort, they discuss how leader Thomas Clyde Smith Jr's control tactics got more extreme once the group moved to the Oregon commune, including separating children from their families, requiring people to hit each other in church, and cycling children into his home for sexual abuse - as well as how the group ultimately fell apart, and what Zacch's life is like now working in a psychiatric hospital.



Plus, for Lola's cultiest thing of the week, she and her friend Liz Y2K discuss discovering a man they both dated has been arrested for serial rape, and how the police are seeking additional victims to come forward.



Trust Me is sponsored by Thrive Causemetics! Get an exclusive 15% off your first order at ThriveCausemetics.com/trustme



If you have information on Ben Belser, contact:

LAPD's Operations West Bureau, Special Assault Section

213-473-0447

or 877-LAPD-247



Or for anonymous tips:

LA Crime Stoppers

1-800-222-TIPS

LAcrimestoppers.org



If you have experienced sexual assault and you need support, visit https://www.rainn.org/ or call 800-656-HOPE

In part two of Lola &amp; Meagan's interview with Bride of Christ Church survivor Zacch Comfort, they discuss how leader Thomas Clyde Smith Jr's control tactics got more extreme once the group moved to the Oregon commune, including separating children from their families, requiring people to hit each other in church, and cycling children into his home for sexual abuse - as well as how the group ultimately fell apart, and what Zacch's life is like now working in a psychiatric hospital.

Plus, for Lola's cultiest thing of the week, she and her friend Liz Y2K discuss discovering a man they both dated has been arrested for serial rape, and how the police are seeking additional victims to come forward.

Trust Me is sponsored by Thrive Causemetics! Get an exclusive 15% off your first order at <a href="https://thrivecausemetics.com/collections/best-sellers-1?utm_source=podcast&amp;utm_medium=TRUSTME" target="_blank">ThriveCausemetics.com/trustme</a> 

If you have information on Ben Belser, contact:
LAPD's Operations West Bureau, Special Assault Section
213-473-0447
or 877-LAPD-247

Or for anonymous tips:
LA Crime Stoppers
1-800-222-TIPS
LAcrimestoppers.org

If you have experienced sexual assault and you need support, visit <a href="https://www.rainn.org/" target="_blank">https://www.rainn.org/</a> or call 800-656-HOPE

Trust Me is a weekly interview podcast about cults, extreme belief, and the fine line between devotion and delusion—told through firsthand accounts from the people who lived it. Hosted by two women who’ve been in cults themselves, Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth, the show features survivors from groups like Heaven’s Gate, the Manson Family, NXIVM, OneTaste and more–sharing personal stories of how they got in, how they got out, and everything in between.

Each week, they invite these guests alongside experts who can dive deep into seductive leaders, the darker aspects of organized religion, and the subtler shades of groupthink and the psychology of influence. Trust Me explores it all with unfiltered honesty, dark humor, and a lot of heart. This isn’t a sensationalized deep dive into cults—it’s a compassionate, first-person exploration of what it means to believe, to belong, and to break free. At the end of the day, wanting to believe in something bigger than yourself is one of the most human instincts there is.

Trust Me is a weekly interview podcast about cults, extreme belief, and the fine line between devotion and delusion&mdash;told through firsthand accounts from the people who lived it.&nbsp;Hosted by two women who&rsquo;ve been in cults themselves, Lola Blanc and Meagan Elizabeth, the show&nbsp;features survivors from groups like Heaven&rsquo;s Gate, the Manson Family, NXIVM, OneTaste and more&ndash;sharing personal stories of how they got in, how they got out, and everything in between.
Each week, they invite&nbsp;these guests&nbsp;alongside experts who can dive deep into seductive leaders, the darker aspects of organized religion, and the subtler shades of groupthink and the psychology of influence. Trust Me explores it all with unfiltered honesty, dark humor, and a lot of heart.&nbsp;This isn&rsquo;t a sensationalized deep dive into cults&mdash;it&rsquo;s a compassionate, first-person exploration of what it means to believe, to belong, and to break free.&nbsp;At the end of the day, wanting to believe in something bigger than yourself is one of the most human instincts there is.

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Zacch Comfort, Part 2: The Bride of Christ Church, and an Important Story From Lola

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9daafb0a-44f1-4413-af9e-b2de0128472e/transcript