Boynton Beach man accused of sexually abusing girl, often at knifepoint, for years

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – A Boynton Beach man is accused of sexually abusing a girl who was in his care, often at knifepoint, threatening to have the girl's mother deported and hurt her if she didn't give in, police said.

Aruan Aleman-Hernandez, 38, was arrested Friday on charges of sexual assault and molestation of a child under the age of 12. He was being held without bond Monday at the main Palm Beach County jail.

According to a Boynton Beach police probable cause affidavit, Aleman-Hernandez began abusing the now-13-year-old girl when she was 6.

The relationship between the child and Aleman-Hernandez is redacted in the report, but police said he routinely watched the girl and other children while their mother worked two jobs from 5 a.m. until midnight.

According to the report, the girl told police that Aleman-Hernandez sexually abused her for six or seven years until just a few weeks ago, when he held a knife to her throat and made her take off her clothes.

The girl said her mother found out about the abuse and confronted Aleman-Hernandez, but he threatened to have her deported to El Salvador if she told police, the report said.

Aleman-Hernandez threatened the girl with a knife on many occasions and one time pointed a gun at her, she told police. Aleman-Hernandez told the girl once to "pretend that it was a lollipop" as he made her have oral sex with him, she told police.