A Miami man is behind bars on accusations that he sexually abused his 7-year-old neighbor.
Fidel Lorenzo Garcia Mena, 61, was arrested Wednesday and faces charges of sexual battery on a minor and of exposing a minor to obscene motion picture, according to an arrest report.
Garcia-Mena is accused of making the victim perform sexual acts on him and vice versa in his home in Miami. Police say he also exposed the child to pornographic videos and made her perform what she saw.
"It appears the little girl was being babysat. When the babysitter was stepping out to smoke a cigarette, there was a man that was inside that apartment who took advantage of her," said Kenia Fallat with the Miami Police Department.
Mayra Vilar says the suspect is her longtime roommate. When NBC 6 asked Vilar if she was the child’s caregiver and if she was aware of what was happening inside her apartment, Vilar answered no.
Vilar said she has goosebumps and she never thought this could happen.
Garcia-Mena allegedly told the victim to keep everything they did a secret, the arrest report stated. At the time of his arrest, Garcia-Mena told detectives that he believed the victim was "promiscuous" and that the young girl "tried to kiss him on the lips" and touch him on several occasions, the report read.
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Garcia-Mena was booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Attorney information was not available.
In bond court Thursday, Garcia-Mena denied any wrongdoing.
"I'm innocent. I haven't done any of that," he said.
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