MORENO VALLEY, Calif. (KABC) — A Rialto man, whom authorities describe as the leader of a shamanic community, is facing charges of rape and child sexual abuse after “multiple victims” came forward, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said.

Ricardo Flores, 59, was arrested Wednesday and booked into Smith Correctional Facility on suspicion of rape, aggravated sexual assault of a child, lewd acts upon a minor and several sex crimes involving children.

According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the investigation into the Flores case began on August 1 when “multiple victims” went to the Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station to report sexual assaults committed by the same person at a residence in the 26,000 block of Sandi Lane.

Riverside County Sheriff’s Sergeant James Merrill said detectives conducted further investigations and confirmed that the alleged assaults occurred not only at the Sandi Lane property, but “at locations throughout the county.”

Neither the number of children affected nor their ages were disclosed.

Authorities said sheriff’s investigators arrested Flores at the border while returning from Mexico.

Flores was described by authorities as a “religious leader of a shamanistic community in various locations” throughout Riverside County. The specific sect was not identified.

Shamanism is defined as a religion practiced by indigenous peoples that is “characterized by belief in an invisible world of gods, demons and ancestral spirits who respond only to the shamans.”

Investigators believe there may be additional victims and ask anyone with information to call the lead investigator on the case at 951-486-6700.

City News Service, Inc. contributed to this report.