A Mercedes couple is behind bars after a little girl stepped forward with sexual abuse allegations.
Cristovon Garza is accused of sexually abusing a little girl going back to 2009.
While Jessica Lee Rodriguez is accused of knowing about it and not reporting the crime.
Mercedes Police Chief Olga Maldonado said the child kept the alleged abuse a secret for years but made an outcry on Friday.
“Apparently, these crimes or the alleged perpetrator had been actually touching her for the past several years,” Chief Maldonado said.
Garza is accused of indecency with a child while Rodriguez is facing child endangerment and failure to report a felony charges.
During their Tuesday evening arraignment, Garza claimed a previous Child Protective Services investigation ended with no results.
“I barely started coming back around at all because of this past,” Garza told a judge. “Utlmostly sir, with all my heart, I am not a child abuser."
But investigators told Action 4 News that the girl turned to Rodriguez back in 2009.
Investigators say she confronted Garza, but took his side.
Rodriguez allegedly told the child, “Walk to the police department and tell them yourself.”
Investigators said the little girl walked to the police department this past summer but turned back around and went back home.
Chief Maldonado said that the girl held on to her secret until Friday when she told a friend at school and that’s when authorities became involved.
Garza remains in custody under a $100,000 dollar bond while Rodriguez remains in custody under $60,000 dollars in bonds.
Both of them were expected to be transferred to the Hidalgo County Jail late Tuesday night.
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