KELSO, Wash. - Police have arrested a Kelso pastor who is accused of sexually abusing two girls when he was a leader of a Portland church.

Maximo Akebe, also known as Max Ake, is facing 18 charges, including rape, sodomy and sex abuse. He pleaded not guilty during a hearing Wednesday in Multnomah County court. A judge set his bail at $4.5 million.

Akebe's wife, Maria, and his step-son were in court Wednesday morning to support him. They said he is a good man and the allegations cannot be true.

"He has never been in jail before," his wife said, speaking in Spanish. "He has never been accused of domestic violence. We have nine years of marriage with three children. I have kids from a previous relationship, and he treats them as his own."

According to Portland police, the victims recently reported that Akebe sexually assaulted them between 1998 and 2000 while he was a leader of the Peach House ministry, a private, in-home church located near Northeast 53rd Avenue and Northeast Hoyt Street. The girls were 8 and 12 at the time, and the abuse allegedly occurred while the victims and their families attended the church.

In 2006, he became senior pastor of Iglesia De Dios in Kelso. Following an investigation, police arrested Akebe in Kelso on June 26.

Church members expressed shock at the revelations after Akebe's arrest.

Detectives think there may be more victims, and anyone with information is asked to call Portland police Detective Mace Winter at (503) 823-0182 or Kelso police Detective Damon Blain at (360) 577-3412.