Pastor made members move into church with him, trafficked them, OK officials say
An Oklahoma pastor is accused of trafficking members of his church after making them move in with him, according to officials.
In April, Elmer Baca Flores was arrested on three counts of lewd acts with a child, according to the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics. In October, his charges were amended to include five counts of human trafficking for labor and one count of sexual battery.
Attorney information for Flores was not immediately available.
Flores, an Oklahoma City-area pastor, trafficked members of his church , according to officials.
Flores forced the members to quit their jobs and isolated them from family by making them move into the church, where he also lived, officials said.
“Victims told our agents they were forced to work for Flores without compensation, and he would threaten them with physical harm if they attempted to leave, claiming he was a member of the violent gang, MS-13,” OBN Spokesman Mark Woodward said in an Oct. 31 news release.
Flores spiritually coerced the members “by targeting their religious convictions,” Woodward said.
One of the members told officials Flores “gave her a test to prove her ability to resist temptation” and sexually battered her during it, according to Woodward.
“I am proud of the work by the men and women of our Human Trafficking Unit to get this predator off the streets so he can no longer prey on the innocent and vulnerable. And I am grateful that the victims in this investigation are receiving support and assistance,” OBN Director Donnie Anderson said /n the release/
This story was originally published November 3, 2025 at 10:20 AM.
