According to reports, an illegal Guatemalan immigrant has been charged with molesting a 5-year-old girl twice in the garage and bathroom of her family’s Florida home.
Nicolas Jose Francisco, 25, was charged with two counts of sexual battery against a child under the age of 12 on Friday and ordered held without bail in Palm Beach County, according to Fox affiliate WFLX-TV News.
Francisco, who had been working for the young victim’s family for about a year, told cops that he touched the girl “by mistake both times” and that the girl’s family only accused him of the heinous crime because he “was an undocumented immigrant,” according to the outlet.
Jibby Ciric, a senior director at the Center of Child Counseling, told WFLX that the excuse is not surprising.
“We deal with that in unfortunately many instances,” Ciric acknowledged. “They often try to normalize and diminish the effects of what they have done.”
According to WPEC-TV News, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Department of Children and Families interviewed the girl about the abuse on December 13.
She told investigators that Francisco summoned her to the garage and “touched her flower.”
According to the outlet, in the second incident, she claims the suspect led her to the bathroom, where he allegedly exposed himself and touched her again.
The young victim was reportedly shaking and in tears as she recounted the assault.
Police questioned Francisco about the allegations on Thursday, and he was arraigned Friday.
