A 30-year-old man posing as a pastor in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, allegedly raped 14 boys and left them “in a state of suffering and psychological stress.”

The Panzi Foundation charity hospital in Bukavu city revealed this to AFP News Agency on Tuesday, May 12, adding that the children were admitted last month while the pastor was arrested.

The 30-year-old alleged attacker was arrested in late April, civil activist Julien Namegabe told the AFP news agency.

The victims came from different families and ranged in age from eight to 15.

The suspect “bought their silence with small gifts for several weeks”, according to the Panzi Foundation.

Evariste Kajibwami, a clinical psychologist who has been following the boys since their admission to the hospital, said on the foundation’s website that they “presented a mixture of sadness, fear and shame”.

The foundation said it would help the victims “until justice was done”.