Hawai‘i man pleads not guilty to kidnap, sex assault of teen

HONOLULU — A Hawai‘i man on Monday pleaded not guilty to charges he kidnapped and sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl and forced her to smoke meth.

Duncan Mahi, 52, also requested a trial by jury. Judge Wendy M. DeWeese maintained bail for Mahi at $2 million and set his trial date for Feb. 7.

According to an indictment filed Wednesday, Duncan forced the girl to tie up her boyfriend at a Anaehoomalu Beach in Waikoloa, put a knife to her throat and kidnapped her.

He’s charged with 11 counts, including kidnapping, terroristic threatening, robbery, sexual assault and methamphetamine trafficking. If found guilty, he could face life in prison without the possibility of parole because he was convicted twice for two separate 2018 cases of terroristic threatening.

Police issued an Maile Amber Alert, similar to the Amber Alert for missing children in other states, shortly after the girl’s kidnapping on Sept. 16.

Police said the girl managed to get free one day later after she convinced Mahi to take her to a restaurant in Hilo to get something to eat and people recognized her from the alert.