Local

Orlando man accused of sexual battery against Vietnamese exchange student

ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orlando man is in the Orange County jail after a college-age exchange student said he forced her to have sex with him multiple times.

Investigators said the suspect, Joshua Perez, 28, was the victims’ host dad.

Deputies said a second exchange student living with the suspect told investigators the suspect exposes himself to her as she cooked him food.

Perez faced a judge Tuesday morning on charges of sexual battery and exposure of sexual organs.

According to an arrest report, Perez forced the Vietnamese exchange student into sexual encounters about 13 times over the past three months.

Investigators said the encounters happened at the Valencia Forest Apartments on Valencia Town Trail in Orlando, where the student lived with Perez and his girlfriend.

A second Vietnamese exchange student living with Perez told investigators Perez exposed himself to her while she cooked him dinner.

The exchange student told police she got scared so she ran into her bedroom and locked the door.

She called her parents and begged that they move her to a different host family because she was afraid.

Perez remains jailed in lieu of a $5,100 bail.