Child Says Neighbor Walked Into Miami Home, Exposed Himself
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A child, home alone, said her neighbor walked into her Miami home and exposed himself.
A check by police shows the accused man, Joseph Thermidieu, 35, is a registered sex offender.
The victim's mother told CBS4's Peter D'Oench that she is outraged.
"I'm very upset," she said. "I'm angry. I am mad."
She was not aware that Thermidieu was a registered sex offender.
Officer said they were driving near NW 60th Street and NW 14th Ave. on Saturday when they were flagged down and heard what the 9-year-old had to say.
They were able to get in contact with the girl's mother who told police she had left her daughter home alone for a few minutes while she walked to the corner.
The mother told officers when she returned, she found her daughter crying with another man with her – an unidentified witness.
Her daughter said Thermidieu walked into the home without permission and pulled down his pants.
That's when the child said she ran out of the house "in fear of seeing the defendant's penis," according to Thermidieu's arrest form.
In bond court a Miami police officer testified about what the victim told police.
"She said she saw his peepee and she saw part of it and she became scared" and ran out of the house.
The child said Thermidieu followed her outside and offered her money if she promised not to say anything.
Officers said he then got away in a black Ford Explorer and later was involved in a hit-and-run accident and was arrested the same day.
He has since been charged with burglary with assault or battery and attempted lewd and lascivious assault on a child.
Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer set bond for the charges at a total of $275,000. If Thermidieu is able to get out of jail, he will have to wear a GPS monitor and will not be allowed to have any contact whatsoever with the victim.
D'Oench also spoke with Thermidieu's fiancée Alice Akins, who said, "Four years Joseph and I have been together and Joseph is a good person. The situation that happened over the weekend that I assume you're here for well that was totally out of character for Joseph. Joseph was down the street with some people using drugs. He got a hold of some bad drugs. That's what happened."
"This was not like him?" D'Oench asked.
"Hell no," said Akins. "Right now I don't know if he did it or not but I hope he fights the charges. I really do."
Records show Thermidieu became a registered sex offender after he was convicted in May of 2010 of lewd and lascivious molestation on a child between the ages of 12 and 15 years old.
