APne 09/01 0047 Colorado Cults WH OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- An Omaha private detective who expe

APne 09/01 0047 Colorado Cults WH


   OMAHA,  Neb. (AP) -- An Omaha private detective who expects to
be indicted by a Colorado grand jury for the  alleged  kidnapping
of  a religious cult member called Colorado a haven for religious
cults.

   Dennis Whalen said on  Monday  that  Denver  authorities  have
helped  make  Colorado  that way by vigorously prosectuing people
who try to help cult victims.

   Whelan, the subject of a  grand  jury  investigation  for  the
alleged kidnapping of a Unification Church member in Denver, said
he can think of no other reason why about 15 of the largest cults
in the United States are based in Denver.

   "I  don't  know why one big city in the Midwest has such a big
concentration of cults unless they feel safer there," Whelan said
at a news conference organized by an organization calling  itself
the Cult Rescue Defense Committee.

   Committee  members  said they said they hope to raise money to
pay for the legal  defense  of  Whelan  and  others  who  may  be
indicted  in the alleged May 26 kidnapping of Britta Adolfsson, a
29-year-old Unification Church member.

   Whelan, 52, said the Unification Church is a  religious  cult.
Church  members  are  sometimes  called  "Moonies,"  after  their
leader, the Rev.  Sun Myung Moon of South Korea.

   Whelan said he expects to be indicted with five other  Omahans
for their roles in what they call the rescue of Ms.  Adolfsson.

   The  five,  who attended the press conference with Whelan, are
James Hilzendeger, his son-in-law; Lawrence  "Mick"  Whelan,  his
son; Pat Kinney; Judy Kowal, and Jay Hinchman.

   A   day  after  the  alleged  kidnapping,  Denver  authorities
arrested  Whelan  and   Hilzendeger   and   charged   them   with
second-degree  kidnapping,  conspiracy  to  commit  second-degree
kidnapping and false imprisonment.   Charges  against  both  were
dismissed when the case was submitted to the grand jury.

   Norm  Early,  Denver  County district attorney, told the Omaha
World-Herald in a telephone interview that cult members  move  to
Colorado  for the same reasons many other people do -- quality of
life and scenic beauty.   He  also  said  his  office  would  not
tolerate kidnappings in Denver.

   "We  are  not  going  to  have people being kidnapped from the
streets of Denver ... for the pecuniary gain of Mr.    Whelan  or
anyone else," Early said.

   He   said   the   grand   jury  probably  won't  complete  its
investigation until mid-September.