A 78-year-old Crystal Lake man is accused of sexually assaulting a child in his truck nine years ago when she was 5 or 6 years old.

Miguel Echeverria, who also has homes in Texas and Guatemala, where prosecutors said he goes each winter, is charged with predatory sexual assault of a child younger than 13, a Class X felony, according to the criminal complaint filed in McHenry County court and Judge Cynthia Lamb, who detained him in the county jail pretrial Monday.

During Echeverria’s first court appearance, Assistant State’s Attorney Margaret O’Brien argued for his detention, saying that he is a danger to the child as well as any other children in the community. Given he has homes in Texas and Guatemala, he also is a flight risk, she said.

Lamb agreed and, in detaining Echeverria, referred to a court document that alleges he worked for the child’s father, befriended him and “would hang around until he could get her by himself.” He would say he had a surprise to get her inside his truck, where he, “on more than one occasion ... removed her clothes and [assaulted] her,” the judge said.

O’Brien said Echeverria “took steps to hide” what he was doing by putting up shields in the windows of his truck. When at the father’s business, or when no one was around, Echeverria also sexually abused the girl by touching her over her clothes, the prosecutor and judge said.

O’Brien said Echeverria was charged in 1999 with aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a child younger than 13. She said he has similarly abused two “targeted” children of similar age “that we know of.” In the current case, he was homeless and living in his truck, where the alleged assaults took place, O’Brien said.

However, Echeverria’s attorney, Assistant Public Defender David Giesinger, said that the 1999 charge was amended to battery. Giesinger said that Echeverria could surrender his passport, although it’s currently in Texas, and could be released with conditions to ensure he returns for court. The public defender also said there are conditions that could be put in place to protect the child or any other children, including a GPS tracker on Echeverria.

The defense attorney noted that Echeverria turned himself in and has two brothers living in Crystal Lake, where he has lived for 25 to 30 years. Giesinger also noted that the allegations are “delayed” from nine years ago, and Echeverria denies them.

Before going back to jail, Echeverria, through a Spanish interpreter said: “All of this is a lie.”

He is due back in court Monday, Oct. 6.