An American cult leader suspected of sexually assaulting several girls, some reportedly as young as 12, has been detained in Brazil, police said Saturday.
Police tracked down 53-year-old Victor Barnard, wanted on 59 counts of sexual assault, in the beach resort of Pipa near the northern city of Natal after a search coordinated with US authorities, Globo television reported.
Barnard, who founded his River Road Fellowship sect in the US state of Minnesota, is accused of a series of assaults over the course of nearly a decade. He was the subject of an international manhunt.
According to the US Marshals Service, Barnard set up a campsite near the town of Finlayson in 2000, urging several followers to let their daughters live with him there.
The young girls, whom Barnard referred to as “maidens”, were housed in a separate area at the isolated camp, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of Minneapolis.
From 2000 to 2009 he allegedly sexually assaulted some of the girls, before moving his family and church to Washington state, the Marshals said.
US media reported that two women came forward to investigators reporting that they had been assaulted at ages 12 and 13 by Barnard, while part of his “maidens” group.
“I am ready to have him locked up,” Lindsay Tornambe, who said she first came into contact with Barnard at age 13, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
“As soon as I got the news (of Barnard’s arrest), I started crying. It feels so surreal. I knew the day would come, but it finally came and it’s almost numbing,” she said.
The self-proclaimed pastor was added to the US Marshals Service’s list of 15 most wanted fugitives in November. A $25,000 award had been offered for information leading to his arrest.
The Marshals Service said Barnard was charged with the assaults in April 2014 and had been on the run since.
View Comments (29)
Religion is the opium of the masses...It's also a great tool for getting ignorant suckers to do what you want them to do.
Nothing but a sick pedophile hiding behind a false religion. (See: Joseph Smith. Mormon founder.)
Please note: this guy does NOT follow Jesus.
finding jesus, one anus at a time...
still waiting on the zombie apokolypse
That is what David Koresh was accused of, and the Fed Gov't did a major military assault against him based on "weapons charges". I guess they don't do that in Minnesota and Washington State. I guess the Fed Gov't learned something after all from Waco.
Take and nail his privates to a tree stump then set it on fire and give him a dull rusty knife.
A church by any other name is still a church. Religion is a virus on earth that needs eradicating. Far to many "people of God" (which ever one) are evil perverted murderous psychopaths.
Funny thing is, if you consider people that follow the Bible (66 books) and Jesus' commands as written, and not skewed or perverted by their own needs and wants, none of them do what any of these freaks do. Show me one example of where I'm wrong.
Angry Atheist strikes again. Ignoring completely the MILLIONS killed by Officially Atheist Communist Governments. I guess the Angry Atheist who killed those three Muslims in the Apartment parking lot is your new hero. Sad. Very Sad.
former church goer in recover. You don't get angry at priests who rape kids (unless you rape kids too) or cheat old people out of money like pat robertson does? or rape their sisters like josh duggar did?
Of course I do. But to say ALL OR MOST EVIL AND BAD comes form Religion is a false narrative. Those religious teachings that teach tolerance should not be thrown out with those who profess torture and death to Non Believers. I actually dealt with Sex Offenders as an LEO. Many would use ANYTHING as a justification for their desires and acts, including warped ideas about religion. It is the Evil in the people that causes this to happen. Once again, read just the Four Gospels, look at the UNDERLYING teaching of Love, Respect to others, Belief in a Higher power, and you would do just fine. Ones belief in or not belief in Divinity does not make one bad, evil or abusive. Rather, if you read the basic Teachings of Christ, followed them, I don't see you going around abusing people. Have a Nice Day.
Organized religions have killed more and still killing. F%ck your gods
Sorry, but you are so wrong. Communism, which was officially Atheist, killed and enslaved MILLIONS. Hitler killed out of HATE, not religion. Most wars were territory or greed related, someone wanted riches or something someone else had. Please study History rather than just spew Hate to feel important. Sad. Have a Nice Day!
hitler perverted christianity and used it as excuse to kill like christians do in America today. "We tolerate no one in our ranks who attacks the ideas of Christianity" your buddy adolph 1928.
Then why did he have all the Crosses REMOVED from Austrian Schools after Anschluss? He use Christianity as a means to gain more power. Sorry, but his sickness had nothing to do with religious beliefs. He just had a need to justify his pathetic existence by killing Millions of Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals, and any one who disagreed with him. Have a Nice Day. By the way, I don't see Christians marching people to the Gas Chambers in the U.S. You are hopelessly exaggerating.
Wars are started over religion I stand by my comment
And ignore Communism because you are an Angry Atheist, RIGHT? Sad.
Did Stalin kill people because he was an Atheist or because he wanted to rule by force? Stalin came from a country that was oppressed by the Russian Orthodox Church, it corrupted the government, oppressed and placated the poor and used its influence to keep the favorable people in power. Just like the Christian church in America. Naturally when someone seizes power from this kind of regime they will be anti religion. Just like it will be in America soon, one group can only oppress another for so long. Stalin was not against belief he was against churches meddling in politics. "Anti-Semitism, as an extreme form of racial chauvinism, is the most dangerous vestige of cannibalism." -Joseph Stalin
Sorry, but Communism/Marxism was based on Atheism, Religion was the Opiate of the Masses. THAT is the basis. Please read Marx, then study what the Commissars used to lecture on in their required meetings, especially during WWII, See all the restrictions Mao's Red China had on ALL RELIGOUS PRACTICES/BELIEFS, for years. Even today, or certain, nonthreatening religions are allowed in. And I am not even mentioning North Korea, the True Dictatorship of the Proletariat . Marxist Communism is Atheist, by its own words.
P3815, Hate to say it, but if you don't know the difference between an atheist and an anti-theist then you're not really qualified to speak on either. Just like you don't like being lumped in with the dregs of your religion, neither do those of us who don't believe like to be lumped in with the militants.
EyesWide, here's the thing you need to understand. Religion isn't the problem. We have a world full of people with mental issues, and they find something to latch onto, to obsess over, and it justifies their killing. For example, Charles Manson with Helter Skelter. He obsessed over it because of his illness and so many people died because of it. Not religion. Not Helter Skelter. Because he has issues. Same with any other psycho-/socio-path. When you claim religion is the reason people go crazy you show just how ignorant you are on the subject of mental illness. Maybe instead of blaming something, you should do some homework and try to fix the problem.
Well, its always funny how so called Anti Theists sound like Angry Atheists, always find a way to attack any and all religious beliefs. And talking down to me does not impress me. Plus, Charles Manson? Huh? Have a nice day, and I never claimed religion causes people to go nuts. But when you have a religious book that lays out what to do with non-believers, Apostates in a Violent way, and millions agree with it, You have a problem. And yes, I have read the Quran. It definitely needs a good editor.
You're absolutely right, historically speaking millions have been killed as a result of Stalin, Castro, and Zedong's revolution, (these governments were actually secular, not Atheist, but yes there was a lacking of religion.) Anyways, why do these examples mean that eyeswideopensill doesn't have a point? Inquisition of the Catholic church, Salem Witch trials, 911, Heaven's Gate.....In both cases you should acknowledge the great injustices, which are synonymous with humans, regardless of faith/government. You should also draw on the fact that any reasonable man of faith wouldn't advocate the senseless killings as a result of faith itself. Therefore, you should mirror that standard with Atheism and not assume an individual's beliefs and actions (guy who killed 3 muslims) are inseparable to all atheists.
You need to read all the posts of the Angry Atheists then you would understand my point. According to them, Christianity primarily but all religion secondarily are the greatest evil around. Read what they say about anyone who dares to express a belief, show a cross, etc. Then you will understand why I ask them, if they HATE religion so much, is killing people who dare to believe wrong? Because it seems many believe anything to stop religious belief is okay.
When will people ever learn? Cults are about sex, money and power. Men use religion to intimidate others into following them.
Hmmmmmm? Sexist?
Your right men and women of the church use religion to intimidate others into following them, it's just the men that do the majority of the raping.
Bigot much? Don't think women abuse people also in the name of their beliefs? Sorry you dislike men.
***To the tune of PAUL MCCARTNEY - HANDS ACROSS THE WATER***
Hand over your daughter... (daughter)
Hand over your daughter... (daughter)
This creature needs a bullet to the head after he is slowly castrated with a rusty, dull knife.
The parents of these girls should be locked up along with the monster!!WTH is wrong with them?! they hand their children over to a man to live with him!!My God, I dont know what is wrong with people anymore...so many weak minds with no connection to God and no taking any responsibility for their own children! and they can call it a religion or whatever they want, these parents are guilty of neglect and abandonment at the very least, and co-conspiracy in sexual abuse is a definite!!