Religious Leader Accused Of Sex Abuse Returned To Pine County

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The former leader of a Minnesota religious community who fled to Brazil after facing sexual abuse charges has been extradited back to Minnesota.

The Pine County Sheriff's Office said that Victor Barnard, of Finlayson, was returned to the county jail over the weekend. He faces 58 criminal charges of sexual abuse, stemming from when he led the River Road Fellowship in rural Pine County. On Monday morning, he appeared in court, and a judge gave him a $1.5 million conditional bond, with conditions including Barnard have no contact with the victims and he hand over his passport. The judge set unconditional bond at $3 million.

According to a criminal complaint, Barnard had a "Maidens Group" that consisted of girls, ages 12 to 24, with whom he lived separately from the rest of his church. Investigators say Barnard began having sex with two of the girls, who were as young as 13 when the abuse started.

He told the girls that he represented Christ, the complaint states, and that it was OK to have sex with him. For one victim, the abuse lasted 12 years, from 2000 to 2012.

She went to Pine County authorities, and after Barnard fled to Washington State with a devoted group of followers. At some point, he left the U.S. for Brazil.

According to a Brazilian newspaper, Barnard was arrested in the country last February. He was found in a beach condo with a 33-year-old Brazilian woman.

The U.S. Marshals Service, which had placed Barnard on its Most Wanted list and had been searching for him since 2014, said it worked with Brazilian authorities to track Barnard down and arrest him. The extradition process took about a year.

Lindsay Endsley, a former member of Barnard's religious group, said her parents gave her up to him when she was 12.

"He tore our family apart," she told WCCO, "so many families."

All 58 counts against Barnard stem from the abuse of two girls in his religious group, which neighbors said was secluded and totally self-sustaining. Authorities believe there could be more victims.