A Mercedes man accused of aggravated sexual assault of a child has been arrested — years after the crime happened.

Felipe Abrego, 40, of Mercedes was arrested on Tuesday, in connection to a sexual assault of a minor that occurred in 2012.

Mercedes Police said the victim reported the crime in 2018 after opening up to a family member about the incident. 

According to a criminal complaint, the victim was was under 14-years-old at the time when she was sexually assaulted. The incident happened at her grandmothers house where Abrego, her grandmother's boyfriend sexually assaulted her. 

Oralia Jaurie, a victim advocate at the Family Crisis Center in Harlingen said often times children don't speak out about sexual assault until they are older and often times the perpetrators are close to the victims.

"Normally in children, it's because they don't know that it's abuse," Jaurie said. "They didn't like but they really didn't understand what was happening and then they try to pretend it's not happening and then there may be threats."

Victims of sexual assault can reach out to the Family Crisis Center in Harlingen at (956)-423-9304 for free help that is available 24/7. 

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