WINTER HAVEN — A Haines City man has been arrested for alleged sexual battery on an 8-year-old girl.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office announced it arrested Wilibaldo Salinas Garcia, 29, on Friday. The investigation began Aug. 24, when the girl told her mother that Garcia entered her bedroom and digitally penetrated her and forced her to touch him, PCSO reported.

The girl told detectives that Garcia had done something similar to her last year, the report said.

Garcia tried apologizing to the girl's mother for what he did, PCSO reported, and told her that he would tell the girl he was sorry. Detectives have audio and text evidence of Garcia admitting to and apologizing for committing the sexual battery, the report said.

Garcia was arrested and charged with sexual battery on a person less than 12 years of age, a capital felony.

"Sorry won't cut it for this guy; he's only sorry that he was caught,” Sheriff Grady Judd said. “He tried to prevent getting caught by telling the girl that if she told her mother, her mother would hit her."

Garcia has used the alias of Lorenzo Sipriano, PCSO reported. His criminal history consists of three misdemeanor charges.

Garcia is in the United States illegally from Mexico, PCSO said, and a hold has been placed on him at the request of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on Twitter @garywhite13.