HOUSTON – Two student counselors from a religious organization, one of them with ties to Baylor University, are accused of sexual abuse.
Daniel Savala, former director and registered sex offender, has been accused of manipulating young people for sexual purposes for decades. The most recent of the accusations reveal gruesome acts of sexual abuse perpetrated against minors in a sauna inside a residence in Houston. Along with Savala, Chris Hundl, also a former Chi Alpha minister assigned to Baylor University, faces charges of continued sexual abuse of a minor.
The arrest of Daniel Savala, 67, took place in early June after Child Protective Services (CPS) received multiple reports of the abuse of two minors in the past two years. The victims, now adults, recounted their experiences of being forced to engage in depraved sexual acts. According to court documents, the incidents occurred between the summer of 2021 and March 2022, when the victims were around 11 or 12 years old.
Investigations revealed that the children were forced to perform sexual acts on each other while former counselors watched, both reportedly occurring at the Savala in Houston and at Hundl’s Sauna in Waco, TX. The victims revealed that they were intimidated not to disclose these heinous activities to anyone.
While law enforcement authorities are conducting investigations into these disturbing allegations, specific details are being kept confidential due to privacy laws. During cross-examination, Hundl allegedly admitted to bringing the children to Savala’s home and witnessing the explicit acts. However, according to the information provided, Hundl could also have been a victim of Savala’s manipulation.
A letter published by the law firm Scheef & Stone exposes a troubling record for Savala that spans at least two decades. The document alleges that Savala, through his connection to Chi Alpha Ministries, took advantage of and sexually abused numerous college-age men whom he had manipulated over the years. The letter, sent to several Texas universities, including Texas A&M, Rice, Texas State, The University of Texas and the University of Houston, accuses university officials of failing to take action despite being aware of Savala’s history of sex crimes. . He claims that certain representatives even advocated leniency on Savala’s behalf.
Savala’s record as a sex offender dates back to 2012, when he was charged with multiple counts of continued sexual contact and sexual abuse of a minor in Ketchikan, Alaska. That same year, he pleaded guilty to third-degree sexual assault of a minor and was convicted. The letter calls for immediate action by universities, urging them to remove Savala from their campuses to prevent further damage.
Chi Alpha World Fellowshipa network of Christian ministries sponsored by the Assemblies of God and operating on more than 300 college campuses, is headquartered in Springfield, Missouri. In response to the allegations, Baylor University, where Hundl was previously assigned as Chi Alpha minister, has suspended all Chi Alpha operations on campus and is actively investigating potential impacts on Baylor students. The university expressed deep concern over the allegations and stressed its commitment to maintaining a safe environment for students.
