AUBURNDALE, Fla. — "Hell, I don't know," 41-year-old Carlos Calderon allegedly told the Polk County Sheriff's Office when asked how many times he sexually battered a child.
Detectives were told about Calderon when a girl, aged 12 or younger, went to an adult and said he had explicit photos on his cell phone. The molestation had been ongoing since she was 7 years old, according to a news release.
Calderon is a Mexican national who does not have U.S. citizenship and is able to be removed from the country, the sheriff office says.
Upon a search of his phone, investigators found the inappropriate photos. They, too, discovered an adult sex toy in the suspect's dresser drawer that had been described by the child.
Calderon admitted to taking the photos and battering the girl, said detectives, adding he claimed not to know how many times he committed the crimes.
"Calderon's continued molestation and sexual battery against this child is unconscionable," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a news release. "He preyed upon her and groomed her to commit these horrific acts.
"We are going to make sure he is held accountable for his actions."
Calderon was arrested Tuesday and is being held in the Polk County jail on a $400,000 bond and several charges, including sexual battery, lewd molestation and using of a child in a sexual performance. In total, he faces eight felony charges.
Calderon, too, has a criminal record dating back to 2003 in Polk County, with arrests for driving with a non-valid, suspended or revoked license and drugs.
ICE is aware of Calderon's arrest, authorities say.
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