A 31-year-old man from Mexico was arrested by the Polk County Sheriff's Office Saturday, August 18, 2018, and charged with 20 counts of sexual battery on a 16-year-old girl in Mulberry.

Jesus Ramirez-Velasco told detectives that he knew it was illegal, but he claimed that she was the one who asked for sex from him.  

"A crime such as this against a child is heinous; to blame the victim for his behavior is appalling.  " - Grady Judd, Sheriff.

Ramirez-Velasco was the boyfriend of the girl's mother. The victim told investigators that he first initiated sexual contact with her in mid-December, against her will.

Through the investigation, it was determined that the two had sexual intercourse at least 20 times, and this was corroborated by Ramirez-Velasco.

The Sheriff's Office began investigating over the weekend after the victim came forward and said that Ramirez-Velasco had threatened to harm her mother if she didn't have sex with him again.

Ramirez-Velasco was charged with 20 counts of Sexual Battery of Custodian Victim over 12 (F-1). Aside from his illegal residency in the United States, there is no known prior criminal history for him. 

Jesus Ramirez-Velasco was arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2008 and deported, but he returned illegally. The Polk County Sheriff's Office notified ICE of Ramirez-Velasco's current arrest and charges.

The investigation is ongoing.