A former Florida cult leader was arrested Thursday on charges of murder and abuse towards a 3-year-old boy that took place in the late-1980s, according to local reports.

Anna Elizabeth Young, 75, was arrested in Marietta, Georgia, after a year-long investigation into her alleged misconduct while operating House of Prayer for All People, a religious boarding school south of Gainesville, Florida.

"Mother Anna" allegedly killed toddler Emon Harper by refusing to feed him, inflicting bodily harm, causing permanent disability, initiating torture and punishing him severely, according to a press release obtained by ABC News.

The investigation determined that many more children under Young's care during this period of time may have been subject to misconduct. A further inquiry by the Alachua County Sheriff's Office claims that Young may have committed crimes against children that date as far back as 1968.

"I think the extent of how long this took place going clear back to the 60s is the most shocking this here," police information officer Art Forgery told WCJB, an ABC affiliate in Gainesville. "Witnesses came forward from the House of Prayer alleging brutality and even some children being murdered."

Young was charged with felony child abuse in 1992 and was captured eight years later in Illinois. In 2001, she was sentenced to six months and 12 days in jail for bathing a 12-year-old girl in a tub full of chemicals, causing severe burns.

Young was transported and later booked into the Cobb County Jail in Georgia. Her extradition back to Florida is still pending.

Young's arrest isn't the conclusion to this case. Local law enforcement will continue investigating whether there may be additional prospective witnesses and victims.

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