A fugitive American pastor charged with multiple sexual assaults has been tracked down and arrested by Brazilian police after five months of hiding. 

Authorities arrested Victor Arden Barnard in a gated community in Minnesota, where a 33-year-old woman was found detained.  The two were brought to a federal jail in Lagoa Nova in Natal while waiting for their extradition to the U.S.

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The 53-year-old Barnard was charged with 59 counts of sexual assault, including the  abuse of two young girls who were members of his church. He was featured as one of the U.S. Marshal's 15 Most Wanted List with a US$25,000 reward for information that can lead to his arrest.

The pastor, who headed River Road Fellowship, had been in hiding for five months prior to his arrest. He was also wanted for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

A charismatic leader, Barnard had taught his congregation on the teachings of Jesus Christ. In mid-1990, he set up a "shepherd's camp" in Pine County where some of his congregants moved to be part of the camp.

According to reports, in June 2000, Barnard allegedly proclaimed that he was Christ on Earth. He was able to convince some members of his church to allow their eldest daughters to live with him in a camp called "The Maidens." 

One of the complainants, Lindsay Tornambe, told authorities that she was allowed by her parents to stay at Barnard's camp where she was allegedly abused since she was 13 until she reached the age of 22.  In her complaint, Tornambe said she was sexually assaulted one to three times a month until she was able to leave in 2010 and had moved to Pennysylvania.

Other members also shared the same stories of sexual assault by the pastor who operated the ministry from about 2000 to 2011 or 2012.

Barnard's religious group split when he admitted his affairs with married women and he was reported to have moved to Washington state.

TagsFugitive, American pastor, sexual assault, Victor Arden Barnard, River Road Fellowship