WAILUKU » A former
Maui police sergeant was sentenced Wednesday to a one-year jail term on a
charge of molesting a teenage girl.
Paul Bailey, 46,
of Kahului was charged with third-degree sexual assault but pleaded no contest
to second-degree assault in a deal with prosecutors. He denies he sexually
assaulted the girl.
Deputy Prosecuting
Attorney Robert Rivera said Bailey was driving the then-16-year-old girl home
last year when he stopped in a dark, secluded area and began groping her and
forced her to touch him sexually.
Bailey maintained
the accusations are false, arguing they stem from a dispute between him and the
girl's mother. He said the girl asked him to pull over because she wanted to
discuss politics.
He was rubbing her
back when she said he was touching her breast and immediately took his hand
away, according to defense attorney Ben Summit.
He should have
known better than to put himself in that situation, Bailey said.
"I take
responsibility for what happened that night, even for false accusations,"
he said. "I take responsibility for my poor judgment, and I want to make
sure my family is not hurt because of the situation. Nothing like this will
ever happen again."
Judge Richard
Bissen told Bailey he doesn't dispute letters of praise on his behalf, but he
also believes the victim's claims, the Maui News reported.
Bailey served in the
Marine Corps and was an 18-year veteran of the Maui Police Department, his
attorney said.
"I have gone
from being a respected officer in the Police Department to driving a trash
truck," Bailey said. "I'm not complaining, but the difference is a
huge effect on me. I feel I have already been punished."