An Athens man was arrested and formally charged with a dozen counts of sexual abuse — including rape, sodomy and incest — after being apprehended in California.

Jaime Valladarez, 25, of 12553 Ripley Road, was arrested in Orange County, Calif., and extradited Thursday to face charges in Limestone County.

Limestone County grand jurors recently indicted Valladarez on three counts of first-degree rape, three counts of first-degree sodomy and six counts of incest.

Limestone County Sheriff’s Investigator Sean Doyle made the case against Valladarez and testified before the grand jury.

“These charges arise from the alleged rape and sodomy of a female relative of Mr. Valladarez who was under the age of 12 at the time of the attacks,” District Attorney Brian Jones said Friday.

The case began with a report to the DHR in March 2012.

“Due to Mr. Valladarez’s potential for flight, I presented this case directly to the grand jury in June,” Jones said. “The grand jury issued an indictment for the charges. After an exhaustive search by investigators from the Sheriff’s Department and the United States Marshall Service’s fugitive squad, Mr. Valladarez was apprehended in Orange County and was returned to Limestone County, where he is currently being held in the Limestone County Jail.”

The charges resulted from a joint investigation by the Limestone County Sheriff’s Department, the Limestone County Department of Human Resources, the Athens Limestone Children’s Advocacy Center and the DA’s Office, Jones said.

“I am very pleased that Jaime Valladarez has been caught and is in our jail,” he said. “I would like to thank our Child Advocacy Center, DHR, and the law-enforcement agencies who worked promptly and professionally to bring him into custody.”