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Man accused of posing as 7-year-old's uncle, raping her faces judge for first time

PITTSBURGH — The man who is accused of posing as a 7-year-old girl's uncle and raping her faced a judge for the first time Wednesday.

Police said Juwan Mitchell, 22, lured the girl away from her grandmother’s Northview Heights home and then raped her.

>>ORIGINAL STORY: Man arrested, charged with raping a 7-year-old girl

Prosecutors called this every parent’s worst nightmare.

The girl told investigators she was outside of her grandmother's home on Hazlett Street around 3 p.m. on Sept. 15 when a man approached her. According to police, the girl said Mitchell told her he was her uncle and asked her if she wanted to go to the store with him.

But instead, she said, Mitchell took her into the "basement bathroom" of an "unknown residence" and raped her, according to investigators. Detectives said Mitchell is not her uncle or related to the victim in any way.

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During his first court appearance, Mitchell continuously shook his head at the detective who was testifying. In the end, his case moved forward.

A detective said when he interviewed Mitchell, he admitted to the assault and claimed he had a “lapse in judgement.”

In court, the defense implied Mitchell has an “intellectual disability,” but the judge refused to lower his $200,000 bond.