Pastor on '15 Most Wanted' list nabbed in Brazil

John Bacon | USA TODAY

A fugitive American pastor accused of sexually assaulting two young girls in Minnesota has been arrested in Brazil, the U.S. Marshals Service said Sunday.

Victor Barnard, 53, was wanted on 59 counts of sexual assault in rural Pine County.

"He was picked up in Brazil and he will be detained there for now," Thomas Volk, a spokesman for the Marshals Service in Minnesota, told USA TODAY.

Barnard is being held in Brazil pending formal extradition to the United States, Volk said.

"Through an extensive fugitive investigation, information was developed that Barnard was living in Brazil," the service said in a statement. It said the service coordinated efforts with law enforcement and military in Brazil, and "Barnard was taken into custody without incident."

Barnard was arrested at Pipa beach in Brazil's northeastern state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazilian authorities said.

Volk provided few other details on the arrest.

In the 1990s, Barnard's River Road Fellowship congregation set up a "Shepherd's Camp" in a secluded area 100 miles north of Minneapolis. Authorities say that in 2000 Barnard convinced some congregation members to send their young daughters to live with him as part of his "Maidens Group."

A decade later — with his activities drawing scrutiny — Barnard moved his family and the church to Washington state before disappearing. The charges involve two members of Maidens Group.

The marshals added Barnard to their 15 Most Wanted list in November 2014 after he was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. A reward was offered of up to $25,000 for information leading to Barnard's arrest.

"The malicious crimes allegedly committed by Victor Barnard make him a significant threat to the community," said Marshals Service Director Stacia Hylton at the time. "The women and men of the U.S. Marshals are committed to locating and apprehending this vile fugitive so that he can finally face justice."

Contributing: KARE-TV, Minneapolis-St. Paul