School Security Guard Accused Of Sex Assault

PEARL CITY, Hawaii -- A security guard at Pearl Highlands Intermediate School is being investigated for an alleged sexual assault on a 12-year-old student.

Honolulu police arrested a 43-year-old man on campus on Wednesday morning.

Authorities released him pending further investigation.

Public school officials said they are conducting a probe of their own. School officials said they called police after a parent told them about the allegation.

"All of us here at Highlands Intermediate and all of us at the department, we are very much committed to the safety of our students as we are conducting our own investigation," Department of Education Deputy Superintendent Keith Hayashi said.

Police records show a 12-year-old girl claimed the assault happened at around 11:30 a.m.

The child identified the DOE worker in a field line up, officials said.

Police took the man to the Pearl City police station, where they booked him on third-degree sexual assault.

DOE officials said he is currently on leave with pay.

The worker had been employed at Highlands for the last five years.

School officials are in the process of notifying the students' families about the arrest.

"We will be getting something out to parents as we get more from the investigative process,"

After nearly 20 years with the public school system Hayashi said he can't recall another a case like this involving a security guard.