Cult figure Steven Tari, also known as "Black Jesus," was chopped to death in a Papua New Guinea village six months after the convicted rapist esaped from prison, according to reports in local newspaper The National.

Provincial police commander Sylvester Kalaut told the paper that Tari and another man had been attacking a young woman when a group of angry villagers surrounded the pair and killed them.

Kalaut said the body of the girl was found dumped beside the road.

Tari was notorious on the island for trapping dozens of women into sex slavery. He reportedly called them his "flower girls." Before his arrest in 2010 and conviction on four counts of rape, Tari had thousands of followers on the Oceanic island.

According to reports, Tari had been a former Bible student, but gave up his religious studies to form his own cult. He called himself "Black Jesus" and "true Christ" and moved through jungles amassing followers.

Police said several people would be arrested in relation to Tari's murder.