A man who ran "life improvement" seminars across the country is charged with raping two female teenagers, Gwinnett County police said Wednesday.

Police said Carmine Edmund Baffa, 52, of Gainesville raped a 13-year-old and 19-year-old in two separate incidents at his former home on Stationview Run in Lawrenceville. He is being held without bond at the Gwinnett jail on charges of rape, sexual assault, child molestation and aggravated sexual battery.

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Carmine Baffa

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Baffa's website is labeled "The Home of Human Performance Engineering." His seminars focus on life improvement, said Cpl. Illana Spellman, spokeswoman for the Gwinnett County Police Department.

Baffa later initiated "individual coaching sessions" at his home with adults and children, Spellman said.

It was during such sessions that he allegedly raped a 13-year-old girl between Aug. 1, 2006, and July 31, 2007. The 19-year-old victim told police she had private sessions with Baffa during the fall of 2006 and that he raped her on New Year's Day 2007, police said.

Police also said Baffa posed as a hypnotist, but the victims were not in a hypnotic trance, Spellman said. Spellman said Baffa used his charisma to convince patients having sex would further their treatment.

"The adults at the time said they knew what was going on, but were convinced that it would help their treatment," Spellman said.

Many of Baffa's patients were referred to him by licensed psychotherapists, Spellman said. Baffa is "not a licensed therapist of any sort," Spellman said, though police said he represented himself to patients as a psychotherapist.

Alan Allard, a counselor in Lawrenceville, said that up until 2006 he referred patients to Baffa. Allard said Baffa was always cautious about wording his credentials, describing himself as a "coach" and allowing others to assume he was a doctor.

Allard described Baffa as a "very charismatic man" with a compelling stage presence. Allard said he broke off communication with Baffa in 2006 because Baffa didn't follow through with some of his business commitments.

The seminars were initially named "Mindsight," but later changed to "Precious Video Productions." Each year, Baffa reportedly held an average of 14 seminars -- six in Atlanta and Chicago and one or two in Los Angeles, Spellman said.

Baffa held seminars at area hotels around Gwinnett and Cobb Counties, Spellman said.

"Investigators are requesting that anyone who has had inappropriate contact with Mr. Baffa in Gwinnett County to please call."

Spellman urged anyone with information on the case to contact lead investigator Diane King at 770-513-5356.

Baffa was arrested April 9. A probable cause hearing is scheduled for Friday in Gwinnett County Magistrate Court.

Staff writer Marcus Garner contributed to this report.