Serial sex assault suspect in custody after incident

An alleged multiple sexual assault offender is being held in custody after allegedly assaulting a deputy prosecutor, who then chased him in downtown Honolulu on Tuesday.

Randy Jacob, 37, had been arrested in connection with incidents on March 3, 5, 8, 11 and 13 for allegedly groping women’s breasts and buttocks without their consent, but had been released each time.

Then on Tuesday fronting Honolulu District Court, Jacob is accused of grabbing a woman’s buttock. She screamed and told her assailant to stop, according to court documents filed Wednesday. That woman turned out to be a Honolulu deputy prosecutor, who chased the 5-foot, 140-pound man. He then got into a parked Handi-Van on Bishop Street. The driver tried to detain him, but he got out of the van and fled, a police report said.

When the deputy prosecutor lost sight of her assailant, she stopped her pursuit and waited for police at the corner of Hotel and Bishop streets.

Jacob was arrested at 1:35 p.m. on suspicion of fourth-degree sexual assault, a misdemeanor, at the intersection of Hotel and Bethel streets.

District Judge Steven Hartley ordered Wednesday at Jacob’s arraignment that he not be released, but did confirm his bail at $500. Jacob makes another appearance in court today for status, but no witnesses will appear.

Honolulu Prosecutor Steve Alm issued a news release Tuesday evening warning the public about Jacob, who was on a “sexual assault spree,” calling for people like him to be held in custody or committed to mental health treatment, whatever is appropriate.

He called on the Hawaii Supreme Court to amend an order to protect the innocent and to prevent revictimizing people while charges are pending.

Alm was aware of the identity of the victim in Tuesday’s case, and the state Attorney General’s Office is handling this case, although the other cases are being handled by the city, a spokesman for the Prosecutor’s Office said.

The Prosecutor’s Office had argued in court for Jacob to be held in custody or committed to mental health treatment, although District Court judges released him each time because of a Hawaii Supreme Court order from late August discouraging intermittent sentences for cases like Jacob’s. The order was a response to COVID-19 threats in Hawaii’s correctional centers and facilities.

Judge Hartley on Wednesday said, “the court does find that this case is a textbook example of an exception to the Supreme Court order. And the court finds that Mr. Jacob currently represents a danger to the public, given his history within this past week; therefore the court is going to deny the request for release as an exception to the Supreme Court order.”

The state requested Jacob be held in custody or be committed to the Director of Health for a mental health fitness examination. But Hartley noted Jacob in the past had undergone a dozen assessments, and wasn’t sure ordering a new one would assist him, the court or counsel given the repeated violations.

The previous incidents took place between Longs Drugs on Bishop Street and the Frank F. Fasi Municipal Building. Jacob has been charged with three counts of fourth-degree sexual assault and one case of harassment.

Tuesday’s case is the fourth fourth-degree sexual assault charge.