LA MESA - A 59-year-old minister from National City was arrested for allegedly using a fear of the devil to induce women to have sex with him, a police sergeant said today.

Carlos Romero, who lives in the 2700 block of Prospect Street, was picked up at his workplace in Kearny Mesa yesterday, La Mesa police Sgt. Dan Willis said.

The arrest came after an investigation launched May 8, when a 31-year-old La Mesa woman reported the suspect to police, La Mesa police Lt. Allen White said.

The woman told officers that her pastor had convinced her that only by having sex with him could she be protected from the devil, White said. The woman said she had been induced to have sex with the cleric umerous times.

During the investigation, police found two other women who told the same story, White said.

One of the women - a 38-year-old - started having sex with the suspect in January.The other victim - a 37-year-old woman - began having sex with the suspect in March of 1996, White said.

The suspect allegedly had oral sex with all three victims, sexual intercourse with two of the victims and tried anal sex with one of the women, White said.

Police said Romero is a minister who has a congregation of about a dozen people and has nondenominational services in the homes of his Apostolic Church members.

"We haven't determined whether he has been officially ordained," Willis said.

Romero was booked into the county jail on suspicion of inducing consent to sexual acts by fraud or fear and making criminal threats, Willis said.

The suspect allegedly threatened one victim with injury if she told anyone about the encounters, the sergeant said.

A clerk at the jail said Romero bailed out of custody.