A 51-year-old Hilo man pleaded not guilty Monday to three counts of second-degree sexual assault, plus burglary and violating an order for protection.
Hilo Circuit Judge Henry Nakamoto ordered Jonathan Lesieur to return at 8:30 a.m. June 24 for “further proceedings.”
Although no trial date was set Monday, Deputy Prosecutor Haaheo Kahoohalahala estimated trial in the case would take two weeks. Kahoohalahala told the judge that Deputy Prosecutor Woody Pengelly has been assigned to Lesieur’s case.
Lesieur was indicted March 19 by a Hilo grand jury. He was arrested Saturday on a bench warrant issued with the indictment.
According to the indictment, on Feb. 2, Lesieur illegally entered his 41-year-old former girlfriend’s residence in Hilo’s Lanakila Homes and sexually assaulted her “by compulsion” three times — despite the victim being granted an order of protection from him on April 4, 2023, by Hilo Family Court Judge Jeffrey Ng.
Lesieur’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Belinda Castillo-Hughes, requested Lesieur be freed on supervised release — a form of cashless bail — or that his bail be reduced.
“Mr. Lesieur does not reside where the complaining witness is at … ,” Castillo-Hughes told Nakamoto. “According to him, he has no criminal history.”
Castillo-Hughes added that Lesieur has been “disabled for the last 10 years” due to an accident.
Nakamoto noted that a bail study, which is not a publicly available document, has been filed in the case, and it “does not recommend supervised release.”
“Your Honor, the state has not had an opportunity to … view the bail report. Nonetheless, based on the allegations in this case, which include multiple Class B felonies for sexual assault in the second-degree, the state is asking the court to maintain bail at the current amount, which is set at $275,000,” Kahoohalahala told the judge.
Nakamoto maintained Lesieur’s bail “without prejudice,” which means the defense is free to file a written motion seeking cashless bail or bail reduction.
First-degree burglary and second-degree sexual assault are Class B felonies punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment. Violating an order for protection is a misdemeanor punishable by a year in jail.
Lesieur — who according to court records has no previous criminal convictions in Hawaii — remains in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
