31-Year-Old Charged With Sexual Assault Of Children

A 31-year-old man is being held in Highlands County Jail without bond after being charged Tuesday with six counts of sexual assault and two counts of lewd molestation of children less than 12 years of age, according to the Highlands County Sheriff's Office.

Frank J. Unger is charged with allegedly abusing over a four-year period four children , a sheriff's office report said.

One of the victims, who is 6 years old now, said the alleged sexual battery happened within the last year, the sheriff's report added. Other victims reportedly were around ages 9, 8/9, 9/11 and 13/14 when the alleged incidents took place, the report added.

The report said the victims described 13 incidents of sexual abuse, two incidents of lewd and lascivious molestation and two incidents of contributing to the delinquency of a child.

The complaint was filed on Oct. 9, 2005 after a witness came to the home to watch the children and saw one of the children crying on the floor, the report said. She told the witness that Unger had been "messing with her." When an unnamed person came to pick up the children, the witness reportedly told her this, and she filed a complaint with the sheriff's office, the report added.

Unger has denied all allegations, the report added. He said that a person, not identified in the report, had fabricated the story, and he refused to give taped statements, "saying that he would not give any other information because we were trying to 'bury him.'" He has refused to take a Voice Stress Analysis Exam, the report added. Unger has not faced any previous allegations of sexual abuse, the report added.