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SAN DIEGO - A pastor accused of using the fear of the devil to induce female members of his congregation to have sex with him must stand trial on three felony charges, a judge ruled today.

Carlos Romero, 59, faces up to five years and eight months in prison if convicted, said Deputy District Attorney Patrick Espinoza.

After a two-day preliminary hearing, Judge George W. Clarke ordered Romero to stand trial on two counts of inducing sex by fear and one count of making a criminal threat.

La Mesa police Sgt. Daniel Willis testified that Romero told him in a phone conversation in June that he felt sorry for telling three women who went to his church that the "devil would physically harm them and he could protect them if they had sex with him."

"He said he felt sad about it," the sergeant testified.

Willis said Romero told him he knew his actions toward the women were wrong and "wouldn't do it again."

"He told me that he knew the devil wasn't going to harm them," the sergeant said.

One alleged victim, identified as Dora, said the group that Romero led "was not a church, but that's what we called it."

She said her sister in 1998 invited her "to the house where the cults are."

Romero was at the house speaking about the word of God, Dora testified.

Dora said she attended the church for about a year and came back in 2000.

The woman said she met Romero in Fashion Valley in January.

"He told me that there was a revelation from God," Dora testified. "He told me that I had already been attacked by the devil, that I could only stop this by having sexual relations with him."

Dora said she believed Romero because she considered him a "true pastor" who was "guiding us toward eternal life."

The woman said she had sex with Romero again "among the trees" near Fashion Valley because Romero told her "he was not just any man" and to "thank God for that."

Dora said she had sex about six times with the defendant until she told people about it in late April of this year.

A second woman, Flor, testified she had known Romero for about 12 years and had sexual relations with him at least once a week for the past six.

Flor, now 32, said she had a conversation with Romero in March 1998.

"He said, `I have a very delicate matter to talk to you about,"' Flor testified.

She testified that Romero told her the devil would leave her "gravely wounded" if she did not have sex with him.

Flor said Romero threatened to hurt her and members of her family if she didn't have sex with him.

The woman said she stopped having sex with Romero in April and confronted him about it in front of his wife on the first Sunday in May this year.

"When Dora told me that Romero propositioned her, I knew it was a lie," Flor testified.

She said she called police two days later when Romero showed up in front of her house.

Flor told Espinoza she went to the police because she was scared of Romero and his wife.

Flor said the couple told her they would "destroy" her by calling immigration authorities because she was in the United States illegally.

A third woman, Andrea, testified that she had known Romero since 1992.

She said Romero threatened to kill after she tried to end their sexual relationship in February 2003.

Andrea said she told the defendant she was going to tell all of her fellow church members how he had threatened her.

"He told me that if I went to church, that his wife and his daughter could kill me, and if it wasn't them, it could be him," Andrea testified.

Andrea said Romero threatened to report her to immigration authorities if she left him. She said she didn't call police because she was scared.

"He said it was his word against mine," the woman testified. "He said his testimony was clean and my life was dirty. That he was American and I was illegal."

Clarke ordered Romero -- he is free on $45,000 bail - to return to court Oct. 8 for arraignment in Superior Court and to get a trial date.