Relative says Zimmerman molested her

The woman, identified in court papers only as Witness 9, said that Zimmerman molested her for over a decade, beginning when she was 6 and he was about 8. She added that it continued until she was about 16, according to an audiotape released on Monday by the Florida State Attorney’s Office.

She made the remarks in an interview with investigators for the state attorney in March, a month after the fatal shooting occurred.

The woman, who is now in her mid-20s, said she had come forward with her secret now because “with everything going on, I know he’s not going to be out in public.”

On Monday, Zimmerman’s attorney, Mark O’Mara, issued a statement, calling the relative’s claim an “uncorroborated, irrelevant statement” in court papers. He added that his legal team would vigorously defend Zimmerman against the allegations.

An attorney for Martin’s family, Benjamin Crump, said the interview could be used at trial to show Zimmerman “has a history of violence and manipulation.”

In a separate interview released in May, the same woman accused Zimmerman of being a racist.

“I was afraid that he may have done something because the kid was black, because growing up they always made – him and his family have always made – statements that they don’t like black people if they don’t act like white people,” the woman said.

Prosecutors said they may want to use the two interviews in their case against Zimmerman, who is free on a $1-million bond.

Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, is charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Trayvon, 17, in Sanford, Florida on February 26. He claims he acted in self-defense.

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