SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35 ORLANDO) -
Two damaging claims are being made against George Zimmerman by a woman. The charges are being made by a person identified only as "Witness Number Nine" and are contained in audio tapes released on Monday by prosecutors. The woman claims Zimmerman grew up in a racist family and that he molested her for ten years.
WARNING: Graphic details are discussed during witness interview. Listener discretion is advised.
Phone calls Zimmerman made from the Seminole County Jail were also released. A total of 140 calls made in April of this year were included in the evidence made public.
Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty, claiming self-defense.
More documents, photos and video in Zimmerman case
The woman told police that Zimmerman started abusing her as a child. She made her claims in an audio recording with police during an interview which lasted 45 minutes.
The witness claims Zimmerman grew up in a racist family. She tells investigators, "They like black people if they act white, and other than that, they talk a lot of bad things about black people."
When investigators asked the woman if she could recall any specific racist comments from George Zimmerman, she replied, "No." When asked if Zimmerman ever took action against anyone based on their race, she again said, "No." The woman also claims Zimmerman's mom told her she does not like President Obama, because his mom is racist.
She says, "I just could not believe that she said so loud and proud, saying that she was a racist."
The witness also claims Zimmerman molested her for ten years, starting when she was six and he was about eight. She was watching television with George under some blankets at his family's home. She claims, "He would reach under the blankets and try to do things, and I would try to push him off, but he was bigger and stronger and older."
The woman claims when she was eight, he groped her behind the living room curtains and when she was twelve Zimmerman showed her his private parts.
She says Zimmerman was manipulative. "George, he always made himself look so good. He just sucked up to my dad, and he was like the son he never had, and he always was just very charming and personable with everyone in the family."
Witness Number Nine claims there was one more incident, when she was sixteen, at George's house in Lake Mary. They were lying on a bed and he rubbed her chest, and she ran out of the house.
The woman claims she came forward to talk to police, because for the first time in her life, she's not afraid of George Zimmerman.
The defense moved to block the public release of Witness Number Nine's statement in a motion filed on June 18, contending, "The content of this statement is not relevant to the issues of this case, and it would not be admissible in the State's case in chief."
That request was denied on July 13 by Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester.
"There is a 19 month difference between the two of them and she says something happened that George denies ever happened, so she can have her story, but we contest the validity of it," said Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O'Mara.
O'Mara said his client didn't molest this woman and denies allegations that Zimmerman's family is racist. "In her first anonymous phone call to the police, that's all she talked about. She's a racist, he's a racist, the whole family is a racist. Interestingly, when the FBI did their investigation, they found no evidence of racism. When she told that story, and it didn't get turned, she came up with the next story, suggesting sexual abuse, which is without any bases and fact."
While O'Mara said these statements most likely won't be admitted into court, though he is concerned about public opinion. "It is going to be damaging? Yes, it's certainly more static, with something that's not relevant," O'Mara said. "We have to deal with it and take our resources and look at that."
Zimmerman has been in hiding in a Seminole County safe house since he was released from jail on a $1,000,000 a week and a half ago.
"He's better, still in hiding and frustrated," O'Mara told us, adding that it has been difficult for the Zimmerman family, as they continue go from hotel to hotel, living in fear, because of death threats. "It's beyond damaging, it's devastating. They're very worried."
When asked if extra security measures had been taken, O'Mara said, "We're trying to, but we don't have the funding for it. The defense fund was devastated by $100,000 to pay for a bond of $1, 000,000."
O'Mara says donations increased on Monday, after statements by Witness Number Nine were released. He thinks some people are mad, because the State is taking the focus off the real case.
"My focus is the stand your ground hearing, a trial if we need to get to one showing George acted in self defense."
Meanwhile, O'Mara continues to encourage people to donate to Zimmerman's defense fund, saying, "If there are people out there that still want to support George now is the time."
On Friday, O'Mara filed a motion to disqualify Judge Lester. He said he hopes to find out if the judge will be removed from the case sometime next week.
FOX 35's Valerie Boey and Keith Landry contributed to this report.
