A Bainbridge High School para-educator suspected of sexually abusing a mentally disabled 17-year old girl last week has been charged with a single count of felony indecent liberties in Kitsap Superior Court.

Stephen Con Buitenveld, 62, entered a not guilty plea to the charge during a Wednesday afternoon arraignment in Port Orchard.

Buitenveld has worked as a teacher’s aide at the high school since September 2002. Buitenveld was also under contract with the state Department of Social and Health Services, caring for two developmentally disabled adult males, and he operated a day care on Bainbridge until 2002.

According to a statement of probable cause filed in court, Bainbridge Police were contacted by Bainbridge Island School District staff on June 11 when a student reported seeing inappropriate sexual touching that afternoon between Buitenveld and the girl in the Bainbridge Aquatic Center’s hot tub and swimming pool.

Police interviewed the witness and reviewed surveillance tape of the hot tub and pool areas, which corroborated the witnesses’ account, according to the statement.

On the evening of June 12, officers attempted to contact Buitenveld at a home on Ferncliff Avenue, where Buitenveld and his adult son attempted to elude police the statement said.

Buitenveld was arrested and booked into Kitsap County Jail. Bail was initially set at $500,000 and reduced Monday to $15,000 during a court hearing. Buitenveld posted bail and was released from custody Monday evening.

Police interviewed the alleged victim June 16. According to the probable cause statement, the girl confirmed inappropriate touching by Buitenveld.

Buitenveld is scheduled to appear in court for an omnibus hearing Aug. 6. A trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 8.

Buitenveld is being represented by Seattle attorney Peter Camiel. Camiel said he could not comment on the specifics of the case because he had not reviewed surveillance video referenced by investigators.

“At this point all we have is an allegation,” Camiel said. “I haven’t seen the quality of the evidence… It is a devastating allegation and would be for anyone.”

BIPD Lt. Sue Shultz said the department is continuing to investigate. BIPD is requesting members of the public who have been in contact with Buitenveld or have information relevant to the case to contact the department.

According to Bainbridge School District spokesperson Pam Keyes, Buitenveld was placed on administrative leave following the arrest.

As a para-educator, Buitenveld was tasked with aiding one to three special education students with varying degrees of disability. At the time of the alleged incident on June 11, Buitenveld was supervising three students in an activity at the Aquatic Center.

According to Keyes, Buitenveld passed background checks that included FBI and Washington State Patrol databases before his hiring. During Buitenveld’s employment, there were no incidents or complaints that would have raised flags for the district, Keyes said.

“There had been absolutely nothing to this point,” Keyes said.

Buitenveld had also been under contract with the DSHS Division of Developmental Disabilities since 2001, and had been caring for two developmentally disabled adults males, according to DDD spokesperson Shaw Seaman.

Seaman said his division was informed of the arrest Monday and immediately terminated both contracts with Buitenveld, pending the outcome of the case.

“As soon as we learned about (the arrest), DSHS did discontinue all social service payments to Stephen,” Seaman said.

DDD is working with both families of the people under Buitenveld’s care to find alternative arrangements. Seaman said DDD had received no substantiated complaints regarding Buitenveld’s services.

During two separate periods between 1991 and 2002, Buitenveld owned and directed a licensed day care center in Rolling Bay called “Sunny and Steves,” according to documents obtained from the Department of Early Learning.

The day care was licensed to serve up to 26 children, ages 30 months to 10 years. Buitenveld first licensed the facility in 1991 and voluntarily closed it in 1994. It was relicensed again in 1997 and voluntarily closed a second time in 2002.

The Department of Early Learning has no record of complaints filed in relation to the day care.