An Osceola County youth pastor arrested and accused of sexually abusing two girls in his foster care faces two dozen sexual battery charges.

Daniel Ryan Lamppin, 40, was taken into custody Tuesday by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office and transported to the Osceola County Jail where he remains.

During a press conference later that day, Sheriff Marcos Lopez said Lamppin was a youth pastor at Connection Church, between Kissimmee and St. Cloud on Generation Point. Lopez said Lamppin lives in the area of St. Cloud and managed a Chick-fil-A on South Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando.

The sheriff said one of the girls Lamppin sexually abused is now 15 years old and the other is an adult.

“These monsters exist … I don’t know if he really is religious. Maybe he uses this as a cover-up to take advantage of people through his alleged mentorship,” Lopez said. “But I’m glad that these victims were brave and they came forward … he’s going to jail and hopefully more victims come forward.”

The investigation started with the 15-year-old, who said Lamppin sexually battered her from ages 6 to 8. Lopez said Lamppin sexually abused her three times and physically abused her once.

He said the charges Lamppin currently faces stem from his abuse of the second girl.

“These charges are being forwarded to the State Attorney’s Office for review,” he said. “There’s a lot of information — it’s still an active investigation — to affect arrest on that [younger] victim.”

Lopez said investigation into abuse of the younger girl led to discovery of the second victim. Her family said Lamppin began abusing her within days of moving into his home at age 16 and it continued for years.

The sheriff said more details are sought and he urged any other possible victims of Lamppin from the church or Chick-fil-A to come forward. He said Lamppin is being semi-cooperative with investigators.

Court records show he faces 24 counts of sexual battery by a custodian. Lamppin has no criminal history in court records for Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties.

The sheriff said Lamppin’s wife was involved in a foster program with him but investigators haven’t spoken with her yet. He said he has contacted the Florida Department of Children and Services to have his foster rights suspended.