UPDATED: Girls said cult leader had lain naked with them

CLAYTON , N.M. (KRQE) - The leader of a self-admitted cult is accused of inappropriately touching three girls, one when she was just 12 years old.

Wayne Bent, who also goes by Michael Travesser, was arrested today at the northeastern New Mexico ranch where he and his followers live. He's charged with three counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

According to the affidavit for Travesser's arrest warrant:

• One girl told officials she and Travesser had lain naked in July 2006 when Travesser allegedly kissed her and touched his chest to hers.
• A few days after that, another girl said she had lain naked with Travesser. The two had allegedly kissed as a husband and wife, and then Travesser allegedly kissed her breasts.
• Then, in April 2007, a third girl said she had lain naked with Travesser, although Travesser was clothed. Travesser then allegedly laid chest to chest with her. She was 12 years old at the time.
• A 16-year-old boy told officials that ten people had received letters from Travesser. Seven of the ten were chosen, but not the boy who talked to officials. He had said that several people told him that the seven had lain naked with Travesser. In the community, he said, people were considered married when they slept together.

Travesser leads the Lord of Our Righteousness Church, which, according to the cult's Web site, he founded in 1987 along with several followers.

Detention Center officials confirmed this afternoon that Travesser is being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond.

He was booked into the Union County Consolidated Detention Center in Clayton, near the New Mexico-Oklahoma state line.

An investigation into the cult began April 22.

State officials removed two girls and a boy from the compound.

He called the state's action "kidnapping."

"What the state did today was to kidnap a young person who knew exactly what was right for her life," Travesser said on a video shot by the cult and posted on the Internet.

The state filed suit to try to get temporary custody of the children. It's not clear what happened in the suit, as the judge on the case issued a gag order.

Travesser has also acknowledged lying naked with virgins, but said he refused their requests to have sex.

KRQE | Reporter: Addie Knowlton | Web Producer: Todd Dukart | The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Previous coverage: 12:49 p.m., May 6, 2008

CLAYTON , N.M. (KRQE) - The leader of a self-admitted cult was arrested today on sex charges.

Wayne Bent, who also goes by Michael Travesser, was arrested today at the northeastern New Mexico ranch where he and his followers live.

Travesser faces three counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to Sgt. Bobbie Long of the Clayton Police Department.

He was booked into the Union County Consolidated Detention Center in Clayton, near the New Mexico-Oklahoma state line.

According to a post on the cult's Web site, bond was set at $500,000.

Travesser leads the Lord of Our Righteousness Church, which, according to the cult's Web site, he founded in 1987 along with several followers.

An investigation into the cult began April 22.

The state Children, Youth and Families Department removed three children from the compound amid allegations that Travesser had inappropriately touched them.

Two of the children are 16, and the other is 13.

Travesser has acknowledged having sex with followers, but has denied having sex with minors.

He called the state's action "kidnapping."

"What the state did today was to kidnap a young person who knew exactly what was right for her life," Travesser said on a video shot by the cult and posted on the Internet.

The state filed suit to try to get temporary custody of the children. It's not clear what happened in the suit, as the judge on the case issued a gag order.

Travesser has also acknowledged laying naked with virgins, but said he refused their requests to have sex.

KRQE | Reporter: Addie Knowlton | Web Producer: Todd Dukart | The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Previous coverage: 12:29 p.m., May 6, 2008

CLAYTON, N.M. (KRQE) - State police have arrested the leader of an apocalyptic cult in northeastern New Mexico.

Wayne Bent, who also goes by Michael Travesser, was arrested today on three counts of criminal sexual contact.

Travesser was arrested without incident at the ranch where he and his followers live.

He is being booked into the Union County Consolidated Detention Center in Clayton.

Travesser's son Jeff Bent wrote on the cult's Web site that Travesser was charged with criminal sexual contact of a minor and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Travesser leads the Lord of Our Righteousness Church, based in the small town of Strong City, outside of Clayton. He has claimed to be the Messiah.

Last week, three teen-agers who lived in the compound were taken into protective state custody. Two are 16 years old, while the other is 13.

An investigation into the cult began April 22.

A young girl told filmmakers for National Geographic that she had laid naked on a bed with Travasser.

Travasser had denied having sex with minors, and called the state's action to take away the children kidnapping.

"What the state did today was to kidnap a young person who knew exactly what was right for her life," Travesser said on a video posted on the Internet.  The video was shot by the Lord of Our Righteousness Church when the state removed the children from the compound.

The state then filed suit to try to get temporary custody of the children, but it's not clear what happened, as the judge in the case issued a gag order.

KRQE | Reporter: Addie Knowlton | Web Producer: Todd Dukart