Girl on witness stand
implicates counselor
in sex assault

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By Leila Fujimori
lfujimori@starbulletin.com

A 14-year-old girl who had accused a Mililani Middle School counselor of fondling her during a visit to his office last year took the witness stand to identify her attacker, pointing her index finger at him.

The prosecution alleges the girl went to the office of her counselor Allan Sagayaga on March 15, 2001, and he asked for a hug before leaving. He then allegedly hugged and kissed her, fondled her breast and told her not to tell anyone.

Sagayaga is charged with third-degree sexual assault in this case and a February 2001 incident where the girl's schoolmate accused Sagayaga of placing his hand on her buttock and kissing her. Both cases have been consolidated for trial.

The girl's former teacher Carole Matsumoto testified that the girl, then 13 and a seventh-grader, returned to class after a visit to the counselor's office and was crying. However, the teacher said she learned of the assault from another student.

Matsumoto testified the girl got Bs and Cs in her class and was well-behaved.

The girl, who had repeated the seventh grade, said she was allowed to skip the eighth grade by taking a correspondence course.

Sagayaga's attorney, Keith Shigetomi, questioned Matsumoto on why the girl attended an alternative school in Wahiawa and special motivation classes.

He also asked the teacher why she did not call police immediately and instead reported the assault to the principal.