By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-06 17:02:03 | Updated at 2025-01-10 16:35:23
4 days ago
An undocumented Guatemalan migrant has been accused of molesting a five-year-old girl on two separate occasions in her family's Florida home.
Nicolas Jose Francisco, 25, was charged with two counts of sexual battery of a child under 12 for allegedly inappropriately touching and revealing himself to the young girl.
Francisco told police on Thursday that he is innocent, claiming the family is targeting him because of his immigration status, Fox News reported.
He reportedly worked in the family's Palm Beach County home for more than a year and was accused of sexually abusing the young victim in the garage and in a bathroom.
The child spoke with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Department of Children and Families on December 13.
She told investigators that the first time the abuse allegedly occurred, Francisco told her to come to the garage and he 'touched her flower,' referring to her private parts.
The second situation involved Francisco bringing her into a bathroom, where the child said he exposed himself to her and touched her again.
'In sexual abuse cases, in many cases, it's the people that the child knows and that's the scary part for the parents as well,' Senior Director of Strategic impact for the Center of Child Counseling, Jibby Ciric, told WPTV.
Nicolas Jose Francisco, 25, was charged with two counts of sexual battery of a child under 12
When police questioned Francisco about the accusations, he denied the claims and said that the only reason he was being blamed was because he 'was an undocumented immigrant,' according to Fox News.
He went on to tell deputies that he touched the child 'by mistake both times' and said he was trying to help the girl use the bathroom.
Investigators noted that there was no bathroom near the garage.
'[Abusers] often try to normalize and diminish the effects of what they have done,' Jibby told WPTV.
Police said that during their interview with Francisco, he eventually 'apologized and admitted his behavior and actions were wrong,' according to the report.
Francisco appeared in court on Friday morning and is being held at the Palm Beach County jail without bail.
The incident comes after a migrant who illegally crossed the US border near Rio Grande, Texas in 2014, was charged with raping a five-year-old girl in October 2024.
Wilson Castillo Diaz, 26, was arrested by US border patrol and then released when he first entered the US. He later failed to show up for an immigration court hearing.
Francisco appeared in court on Friday morning and is being held at the Palm Beach County jail without bail
About a decade later, he was accused of raping the young victim on Long Island in New York on October 14, 2024, according to Nassau County Police.
He was arrested a few days after the alleged attack and arraigned the next day on charges of rape, attempted rape and endangering the welfare of a child, police said.
Details about the circumstances of the alleged rape, including the relationship between Diaz and the victim, were not made available.
The child was taken to a local hospital for medical evaluation.
