Registered sex offender indicted in assault of minor

A 55-year-old registered sex offender in Hawaii has been indicted on multiple counts of sexual assault involving a minor.

An Oahu grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday charging James Buddy Pineda with two counts of first-degree sexual assault involving a person who is at least 14 years old but younger than 16 years old and six counts of third-degree sexual assault.

Pineda turned himself in at the Honolulu Police Department’s Alapai headquarters Thursday afternoon after the grand jury issued a $500,000 bench warrant against him.

His arraignment is scheduled to be held Thursday at Circuit Court.

The alleged assaults occurred on or about Nov. 1, 2015, to Feb. 29, 2016. It’s unclear at this time where the assaults occurred.

Pineda was previously convicted of rape involving a woman more than 30 years ago.

The sexual assault occurred in July 1984 when Pineda was 21 and resided in Mililani. According to a 1984 Honolulu Advertiser story, he was accused of breaking into a home where he tied up and sexually assaulted the victim. He then robbed her of cash and handguns.

Police also had investigated him at the time for other burglaries and sexual assaults that occurred in his neighborhood.

Pineda pleaded no contest to the charges under a plea deal. Circuit Judge Robert Klein sentenced him in 1986 to a maximum 20-year prison term for felony rape, sexual abuse, kidnapping, robbery and burglary.

A state Department of Public Safety spokeswoman said he was paroled in March 1994.

According to the Hawaii Sex Offender Registry website, Pineda has resided at a home at 94-143 Hulahe St. in Waipahu since July 2012.

The state Legislature created the sex offender registry in 1997 to inform the public about offenders residing in their neighborhoods, the type of vehicle they operate and location of employment.

In addition to the rape, burglary, kidnapping and robbery convictions, Pineda also has a criminal record of promoting a detrimental drug, criminal trespass and simple trespass.