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Recently released from prison, a registered sex offender is under scrutiny for allegedly masquerading as a doctor to carry out a sexual assault on a student at an Arizona elementary school. This alarming incident has led to widespread outrage among parents demanding explanations, various reports indicate.
Abel Kai Gblah, 25, faces charges of sexual assault and kidnapping after he reportedly infiltrated Orangewood Elementary School grounds. Disguised as a medical professional, he is said to have enticed a student into a classroom on November 19, where the assault took place, according to the Phoenix Police Department (PPD).
The PPD relayed to Fox News Digital that officers were dispatched to the school following a report from school administrators about a troubling occurrence on campus.
“Upon arrival, officers discovered that an unauthorized individual had accessed the school premises and coerced a young girl into a classroom where he assaulted her,” the police elaborated. “The student managed to fend off the attacker, who fled the scene before law enforcement could intervene.”
As reported by FOX 10 Phoenix, court documents reveal that Gblah allegedly gained the student’s trust by pretending to be a doctor and claiming he needed to conduct an examination.
After fleeing the school, police located Gblah, who was booked into jail on multiple charges.
Gblah was released from prison two weeks ago on similar charges, according to the outlet, and was also allegedly involved in human smuggling across the US border.
According to FOX 10, a prosecutor at Gblah’s court appearance said he was convicted twice in 2021 for sexual conduct with a minor and a registered sex offender.
The news station reported that the Washington Elementary School District said in a statement that school administration immediately called 911 and placed the school on lockdown for over an hour.
“He was on campus for approximately 10 minutes and during that time, he made inappropriate contact with a student,” the district wrote.
The district shared a separate statement with Fox News Digital that it released to parents on Friday, which revealed the results of its internal investigation, including that Gblah was a former student of the school who attended from 2012 to 2015.
While initial reports indicated that the Gblah gained access to the campus behind a student who had buzzed in, further investigation revealed that he entered through an unlocked lobby door, and walked in with a tardy student, the district stated.
Following the investigation, a staff member has been placed on administrative leave, the district added.
“We understand how alarming this situation has been and want you to know that we are reviewing every aspect of our safety procedures and communication to ensure that an event like this does not happen again, wrote Orangewood Elementary Principal Emily Paterson.
According to FOX 10, Gblah is being held on a cash-only bond of $500,000, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for Dec. 1.