An Effort man has been charged with raping a teenage relative.

The Pennsylvania State Police Fern Ridge barracks have charged Hernan Ojeda, 48, after a victim said the sexual assaults started when she was 15 and happened on several occasions.

The victim said she was afraid and shocked during the assault, but said Ojeda did not make any threatening statements and said he wasn’t feeling well mentally.

She said she never told her mother about the assaults due to fear, and that Ojeda also told her several times after being sexually assaulted that he was going to tell her mother that he had been sexually assaulting her.

At 10:48 a.m. Jan. 27, Bennett spoke with the victim’s mother, who said she was informed of the assault that morning by her daughter, but that she was not provided any further details from her daughter except that she was sexually assaulted by Ojeda.

The victim’s mother said she did confront Ojeda about the allegation, and he responded with guilt by apologizing and followed up by stating he would be turning himself in at Fern Ridge the coming weekend.

On Feb. 1, Bennett again spoke with the victim’s mother, who said Ojeda checked himself in for a mental health evaluation at Lehigh Valley-Cedar Crest Hospital, and upon being contacted by the hospital based on his evaluation, he had expressed signs of suicidal tendencies.

Ojeda faces charges of rape - forcible compulsion; statutory sexual assault; sexual assault; aggravated indecent assault without consent; aggravated indecent assault - forcible compulsion; aggravated indecent assault; indecent assault without consent of another; indecent assault - forcible compulsion; indecent assault - person less than 16 years old; indecent exposure; recklessly endangering another person; and endangering welfare of children.

He is currently incarcerated in the Monroe County Correctional Facility in lieu of $200,000 monetary bail, and scheduled to have a preliminary hearing April 16 before District Judge Kristina Anzini of Stroudsburg.