A South Carolina man has been arrested and charged with raping a young child for more than two years.

A mother told deputies that she, the 9-year-old victim, and the girl’s stepfather were going out to eat, but she went back inside before they left. When she returned, she noticed that her daughter was “visually upset.”

“The victim disclosed to her mother that her stepfather had touched her private parts,” the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office said.

The child was taken to a hospital for an examination, where she told the nurse that her stepfather had been sexually abusing her since she was 7 years old.

“A forensic interview was conducted on May 7, 2024, at the Children’s Advocacy Center where additional disclosures were made,” the sheriff’s office said. “On May 31, 2024, a forensic medical was conducted on the victim that solidified disclosures.”

A magistrate approved five warrants charging 39-year-old Melbin Samuel Castro Lopez with multiple counts of third- and first- degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor. He was arrested on Wednesday.

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[Featured image: Melbin Samuel Castro Lopez/Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office]