PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. (Gray News) – Deputies arrested 71-year-old Joseph Cherima on Monday for sexual battery.
His alleged victim is just 8 years old.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office told the Miami Herald that Cherima took her into a dark bedroom on Aug. 31, locked and forced her onto the bed.
She cried out for help when she heard an unnamed person looking for her at the home. Deputies said Cherima held the door closed.
After 10 minutes, he finally let her go.
The unnamed person asked the girl what happened. According to deputies, she said, “He put his thing in my thing and this is not the first time it happened.”
The child was able to name three other occasions in which the suspect assaulted her, deputies said.
She couldn’t remember the exact dates and times, but said the first time happened when her grandmother was at church.
She told them she was raped once while playing with her baby sister and once while she hung up laundry outside.
His alleged victim is just 8 years old.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office told the Miami Herald that Cherima took her into a dark bedroom on Aug. 31, locked and forced her onto the bed.
She cried out for help when she heard an unnamed person looking for her at the home. Deputies said Cherima held the door closed.
After 10 minutes, he finally let her go.
The unnamed person asked the girl what happened. According to deputies, she said, “He put his thing in my thing and this is not the first time it happened.”
The child was able to name three other occasions in which the suspect assaulted her, deputies said.
She couldn’t remember the exact dates and times, but said the first time happened when her grandmother was at church.
She told them she was raped once while playing with her baby sister and once while she hung up laundry outside.
Authorities charged him with four counts of sexual battery on a child younger than 12.
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