BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. — A 47-year-old man was arrested Thursday in connection with the sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl that reportedly began when she was just 8, authorities said.
Police said the abuse allegedly took place inside the victim’s home while her siblings slept and her mother was at work.
Elvis Espinosa Gonzalez appeared in a Broward County courtroom Thursday on charges of sexual battery. He is also accused of impregnating the girl. A Spanish interpreter assisted during the hearing.
Miramar police said the abuse occurred in October 2014.
Investigators said they were called to a clinic where the child, then 12, was 31 weeks pregnant. She told authorities she had been raped by Espinosa, a relative, who allegedly forced her to stay silent by threatening to kill himself.
When confronted by police, Espinosa denied the allegations, saying he had been drunk and had no memory of assaulting the girl. DNA tests from both the child and her baby later matched Espinosa, according to police.
“The court does find probable cause for the charges,” the state prosecutor said during the hearing.
The state requested that Espinosa be held without bond.
Espinosa’s public defender said he would be invoking his client’s right to remain silent.
State prosecutors said the arrest was delayed because Espinosa fled to Spain. Nearly 12 years later, he was located, extradited to the U.S., and now faces multiple charges.
As of Friday, he remains in custody without bond.
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