Prosecutors added a new felony charge of sexual molestation against the former youth minister of a Camarillo Church.

Markus "Mark" Holland McDowell pleaded not guilty today to the new charge involving one alleged victim. He also entered a not guilty plea to sexually assaulting and molesting three other girls in separate incidents.

Ventura County Superior Court Judge Kevin McGee ordered that McDowell be taken into custody and set a new bail of $10,000 for the latest felony.

McDowell, 47, was out on $120,000 bail for the charges involving three victims.

Prosecutor Gilbert Romero said in an interview McDowell's new charge is genital penetration by a foreign object against a female under 18 years old. He declined to elaborate on the charge.

Romero said there is an ongoing investigation in this case but declined to comment on it.

Outside the courtroom, McDowell's lawyer, Brian J. White of San Diego, said a lot of the alleged crimes against his client are unwarranted and some charges go back to 1991. "So they are very old," he said, adding that he believes that statute of limitations bars the filing of some of these felonies.

White said the latest charge goes back to 1998.

The allegations against McDowell have been difficult on him, according to White.

"He's on a roller coaster ride. But he is doing OK, and he's strong," said White.

McDowell is scheduled to be back in court on Dec. 18 for a preliminary hearing.

The alleged victims were young girls when the suspected crimes took place, according to Romero.

McDowell is being charged with a 13-count complaint alleging child molestation starting from about 1992 to about 1998.

According to the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, McDowell met the girls through a youth ministry program at Camarillo Church of Christ, where he served as a youth minister.

McDowell also is charged with one count of possessing child pornography, which authorities said was retrieved from a home computer.

McDowell taught religious courses at Westmont College and Pepperdine University, according to officials at the two institutions.

He was working at Westmont College in Santa Barbara last spring, according to Nancy Phinney, director of the college's Public Affairs Office.

She had said he was an adjunct assistant professor, which means he was working on a contract.

McDowell worked at Westmont for two years during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 school years. McDowell's contract was not renewed.

McDowell was a full-time lecturer and adjunct religious professor at Pepperdine from 1996 to 2005, according Wileen Wong, spokeswoman for the university.