OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A man accused of raping a 12-year-old girl several times within the past year has been arrested, Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez said at a news briefing Friday.
Eliezer Josue Ordonez-Valladores, 20, faces four counts of capital sexual battery.
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Lopez said deputies were made aware of the sexual battery after responding to Santos Road in Kissimmee on Thursday in reference to a call about a missing child.
When deputies made contact with the girl, who had run away from home, Lopez said she told them about how she was raped several times by a man that lived near her. According to Lopez, Ordonez-Valladores had initially approached the victim at a neighborhood block party, befriended her and began taking advantage of her when she was 11 years old.
Lopez added the sexual battery had happened within the past year before she ran away.
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“This is a brave little girl. I applaud her for her courage and for her telling the truth about what she has been going through,” Lopez said.
In an interview with deputies, Ordonez-Valladores admitted to raping the girl and was arrested Friday.
The sheriff also said the suspect, the victim and her family were dealing with immigration issues and praised the girl for coming forward.
“I want everyone to know that if you’re a victim of a crime you need to report it regardless of your immigration status,” Lopez said. “There are legal safeguards in place to help victims of crimes even when you have immigration issues.”
Ordonez-Valladores, who was set to appear in court for a deportation hearing in June, will remain in the U.S. to serve his time in prison, Lopez said.
He also faces charges for sexual battery and lewd and lascivious exhibition.
Deputies ask anyone who has been a victim of or knows a victim of Ordonez-Valladores to contact the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office by calling 407-348-2222.
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