West Virginia state police are continuing their investigation into a long-serving youth pastor who has been charged with nearly 200 counts of sexual abuse involving children, many of whom were his relatives, spanning over three decades.

John W. Radcliff II, the pastor in question, was arrested again last week after authorities, who had already been looking into a complaint filed against him in September, revisited a 2004 case in which five of Radcliff’s nieces accused him of abuse.

“I don’t know what happened, but I never saw anyone take action,” said one of his nieces, Carla Rinehart, whose mother is Radcliff’s sister.

Now 38, Ms. Rinehart explained that she had not realized that her relatives had experienced the same abuse that she herself endured at the hands of her uncle. However, when she was hospitalized at 17 after a mental health crisis, she began to confide in family members. Her sister shared a similar story, and soon other cousins came forward with their own accounts.

According to local TV station reports citing court documents from Lewis County, West Virginia, the 2004 case alleges that Radcliff forced the girls to perform sexual acts on him from 1987 to 1996 and continued to abuse them until they were around 12 years old. The victims are now all adults.

Radcliff faces charges of abuse in four counties, including Lewis County.

Ms. Rinehart said she didn’t know who filed the recent complaint against her uncle in Nicholas County, involving alleged abuse between 2018 and 2019. But after Radcliff’s initial arrest in September and release on bond, she, her sister, and cousins went to the police in support of the victim.

“West Virginia is a small state, and news travels fast,” said Rinehart, who runs a childcare center. “We didn’t want anyone to dismiss her statement the way ours was. We told them, ‘This happened to us. You have to believe her.’”

Radcliff, 57, has served as a youth pastor at least four churches in West Virginia and is currently being held on $1.7 million in bond. It is unclear whether he is still serving in that role. His wife, Kathy Radcliff, who is accused of knowing about the abuse, has been released on bond. The couple declared bankruptcy last year, according to state records.

James Hawkins, Radcliff’s court-appointed attorney, stated that nearly all of the charges stem from accusations made between 1987 and 1996, which are unrelated to his client’s work as a pastor. He added that Radcliff is facing a potential life sentence, with more than 100 years of additional charges.

“What I’m saying is, there’s nothing new here—these are still uncorroborated claims from the alleged victims,” Hawkins said. “The 2004 investigation found there wasn’t enough evidence to move forward with criminal prosecution. We’re looking forward to addressing these unproven allegations.”

Hawkins also noted that the case will go before a grand jury in either March or July.

Meanwhile, the investigation remains active, with additional victims continuing to come forward, according to a statement from the state police.