Brazilian police have finally tracked down and arrested an American pastor accused of dozens of sexual assaults in Minnesota, CNN reports.

It took police five months to locate Victor Arden Barnard, the 59-year old fugitive pastor. Barnard was arrested in a gated community, according to the Public Security Secretariat of Rio Grande do Norte state.

Barnard was transported to a federal jail in Lagoa Nova in Natal. Authorities said they are awaiting his extradition to the United States.

Barnard is suspected of 59 counts of sexual assault in Minnesota. While a pastor, Barnard allegedly abused two young girls who were members of his church, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

The fugitive had not been seen in the U.S. since last year when he was spotted in Raymond, Washington. Barnard was featured on the CNN show "The Hunt with John Walsh" last year and again just last week.

Barnard was a highly sought-after fugitive, appearing as on the U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted List. A $25,000 reward for information that helped lead to his arrest was also offered. Barnard was also wanted for fleeing from prosecution.

Barnard was able to win over his congregation with charisma and devotion to Jesus Christ.

"I had never met anybody that I thought loved the word of God as much as Victor Barnard did," said Ruth Johnson, a former member of Barnard's River Road Fellowship.

In the mid-1990s Barnard set up a "shepherd's camp" in a rural area about 100 miles north of Minneapolis. Several members of his church moved there to be part of the camp.

In June of 2000, Barnard allegedly persuaded some members of his church to let their first-born daughters live with him at the camp. 

Girls joined Barnard at the camp and were known as "Maidens." They were required to wake up early and sew, cook and clean.

Lindsey Tornambe was one of the girls called to stay with Barnard at his campsite. Her parents allowed Lindsey, who was 13 at the time, to join the group of maidens at the camp.

Barnard was able to get many at his church to believe he was Christ on Earth.

"He taught that in the Bible, the church was the bride of Christ and because he was Christ in the flesh, the church was supposed to be married to him," Tornambe said. "At that time, I didn't really understand the fullness of what it meant." 

In a complaint against Barnard, Tornambe alleges she was sexually abused by the pastor from when she was 13 to 22. 

Tornambe said that Barnard sexually assaulted her between one and three times a month until she left with her family in 2010 when they moved to Pennsylvania.

In the fall of 2011, Tornambe received a call from another maiden that reported similar accusations against Barnard. She alleged that from ages 12 to 20 she was molested by Barnard a varying number of times per month.

Tornambe and the other woman went to police in Minnesota. Barnard had already moved to Washington and the religious group had split after he admitted to having affairs with married women.

The ministry led by Barnard operated for 12 or 13 years in a secluded area of Pine County, Chief Deputy Steven Blackwell of the Pine Count sheriff's office told CNN last year. 

After a new sheriff was elected and he began investigating the ministry, Barnard's fellowship left the property, Blackwell said.

Barnard faces maximum sentences of 30 years for most of the counts against him, the BBC reports.