ORANGE PARK, Fla. -- A sergeant in the U.S. Marines was arrested Thursday night on charges that he had sexual contact with young boys he met through his church and in his Orange Park neighborhood.

Rodney Kenneth Staley, 31, was charged with 12 counts of lewd battery, one count of lewd exhibition, and 13 counts of providing obscenities to minors.

Investigators believe Staley -- a Marine staff sergeant stationed at Naval Air Station Jacksonville's Naval Air Maintenance Training Unit -- befriended teenage and pre-teen boys in his neighborhood through his involvement with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (pictured right) in Orange Park, and with the Boy Scouts.

"He started out with a group of victims and then their friends or other boys they may have known," Mary Justino from the Clay County Sheriff's Office told Channel 4's Jennifer Waugh.

Police said Staley admitted the crimes to his church bishop last week, but they only found out Thursday night. That raises questions police want answers to as well.

Neighbors of Staley said they have seen children come and go from Staley's home several times a week. They were shocked when they heard of his arrest.

"Wow, he's got children...I'm very surprised," neighbor Johnna Stidham told.

The investigation into Staley was prompted by a call from a victim's family member, and is currently focused on six victims. They said they are working with other jurisdictions to see if there might be victims elsewhere, since Staley has moved around on military assignments.

"We don't want to scare you, but we need parents to talk to your kids if they knew Mr. Staley. If they had any reason to be around him. Don't assume that it was always supervised," Justino said.

Staley is being held in the Clay County Jail on $75,000 bond.

Investigators ask anyone with information about Staley or his relationships with area children to call the Clay County Sheriff's Office at 904-264-6512.