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Man accused of abducting, sexually assaulting minor

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TBO.com

Published: July 3, 2009

Updated: 07/03/2009 06:46 pm

TAMPA - Tampa police say they arrested a 21-year-old man this morning after a child reported he had kidnapped and sexually assaulted her today.

Aron Lamar Howard, who knows the victim's family, got a key to the family's house without their knowledge and used it to get inside at about 4:45 a.m., police said.

He woke up the 12-year-old girl and told her to keep quiet, threatening her with a knife and carrying her outside to his car. According to a report, he drove a few blocks away before forcing the victim into the back seat and taking off her pants. She screamed and he punched her several times in the face, the report said.

Police said that after the assault, Howard dropped the girl off a few blocks from her home and threatened to harm her if she told anyone what happened. She ran home and woke up her aunt, who called police.

Tampa police and Hillsborough sheriff's deputies went to Howard's house at 1052 Cardonna St., and arrested him at about 8 a.m. They also discovered cocaine and marijuana in his house, according to his arrest report. He has been charged with several crimes, including armed kidnapping of a child under 13 and sexual battery.

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