LIHUE — The former police officer and DLNR enforcement manager indicted on 30 counts of sexual assault was arraigned on Tuesday in 5th Circuit Court. Tarey William Kahana Low, 53, of Kapaa, stood before Judge Kathleen Watanabe, with his attorney
LIHUE — The former police officer and DLNR enforcement manager indicted on 30 counts of sexual assault was arraigned on Tuesday in 5th Circuit Court.
Tarey William Kahana Low, 53, of Kapaa, stood before Judge Kathleen Watanabe, with his attorney Michael Soong. The attorney pleaded not guilty on Low’s behalf and the court scheduled a trial date for Feb. 23, 2015.
Low appeared with several family members in support.
County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Lisa Arin is handling the case for the state.
A 5th Circuit grand jury indicted Low on 26 counts of first-degree sexual assault and four counts of third-degree sexual assault on Oct. 9. Low was arrested on Oct. 10, and released after posting $500,000 bail.
The indictment charges Low with subjecting a female to several acts of sexual penetration by strong compulsion from June 29, 2007 through March 31, 2010. Thirteen of the first-degree charges occurred while the victim was under the age of 18 years, according to the indictment.
Tarey Low is a former branch chief for the state Department of Land and Natural Resource’s Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement.
DLNR spokeswoman Deborah Ward said Low started as a DLNR Conservation Resources Enforcement Officer II on April 2, 1990. He became the Kauai district manager in November 2001, and retired on June 1, 2009.
Each island DOCARE office has a branch chief. The current Kauai DOCARE Branch Chief is Francis Mission. The statewide DOCARE Division Enforcement Chief is Randy Awo.
“We have no comment on the charges,” Ward said.
The Kauai Police Department did not provide information on Low’s years of service. KPD did confirm that Low was an officer who served Kauai during the 1980s.
