Sex assault suspect is released on Kauai
LIHUE » A registered sex offender was arrested recently for allegedly sexually assaulting a disabled female at a county playground. But he was later released because of the victim's difficulty in communicating with police, prosecutors said.
The 42-year-old man from Eleele spent four days in a Kauai Police Department cellblock after being arrested for third-degree sexual assault Oct. 23, according to police records.
But police released the man, who is listed on the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center Web site for a second-degree sexual assault conviction on Kauai in 1995, because they were not ready to present evidence to a judge for a preliminary hearing.
"Given the circumstances, we felt we shouldn't rush the alleged victim," said Craig De Costa, Kauai county prosecuting attorney.
According to De Costa, the alleged victim was able to communicate to her sister about the assault, which she said occurred at Kamalani Playground at Lydgate Park. But when police tried to get details, she became quiet.
De Costa said he hopes that follow-up interviews, with detectives in plain clothes rather than uniforms, will be easier on the female.