Mystical leader of shamanistic community arrested, accused of child sex abuse spanning a decade, SoCal police say

Southern California police arrested a man who called himself a mystical Toltec shaman over accusations of alleged child sex abuse that span a decade.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department arrested 59-year-old Ricardo Flores as he was returning Wednesday from Mexico to the United States.

Flores was booked at the Smith Correctional Facility on suspicion of forcible rape, aggravated sexual assault of a child, lewd acts on a minor, and continuous sexual abuse of a minor.

Police said that "multiple victims" have come forward to accuse Flores of abuse at multiple locations.

Investigators said Flores was the "religious leader" of a "shamanistic community at various locations" in southern California. KABC-TV said shamanism is defined as a religion Indigenous people practice that is "characterized by belief in an unseen world of gods, demons, and ancestral spirits responsive only to the shamans."

At the beginning of August, an alleged victim came forward to police, and more alleged victims were identified through a police investigation.

KABC reported Flores as the leader of the Church of the Cuzcatlan. A website for the group showed a man matching Flores' booking photo but referring to himself as "Koyote." The shaman describes himself as a follower of the Toltec tradition and being trained in Tantra Yoga and Western Mysticism. Flores also was listed in the business filing for the church.

Investigators said the abuses went back as far as 10 years ago. Neither the number of children involved nor their ages were made available, KABC said.

Flores was booked at the Smith Correctional Facility on suspicion of forcible rape, aggravated sexual assault of a child, lewd acts on a minor, and continuous sexual abuse of a minor.

Police believe there may be more victims and are asking the public for any information that might be helpful to their investigation.

The Church of the Cuzcatlan offers attendance to a spiritual ceremony for $500 entrance fee.

KABC's news video report about Flores and his arrest was published on YouTube.

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