Maui man accused of ‘buying’ young girl in Thailand, sexually assaulting her

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - A 76-year-old Maui man is in federal custody for allegedly “buying” a 9-year-old girl in Thailand in 2014 and trying to smuggle her to Hawaii.

In a complaint filed in federal court Wednesday, investigators with the Department of Homeland Security also alleged that George Theros sexually assaulted the underage girl during the past five years.

“(The girl) said she refused in the beginning and did not like him, but Theros became angry and forced her to have sex with her,” Department of Homeland Security Special Agent Paul Malana wrote in an affidavit.

“When she did not want to do what Theros wanted, he would mistreat her with physical abuse, including beating her body.”

Theros, who was arrested Tuesday night, was in federal court Wednesday for his initial appearance.

He asked Federal Magistrate Judge Kevin Chang for permission to be transported to his doctors office for treatment for an illness that he described as life threatening.

“If you delay my treatment, I’m going to die in jail if that satisfies you,” he yelled in court.

Chang ordered him to sit down twice and later denied his request to be transported to his doctor’s office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Morgan Early argued that Theros should remain in custody because he’s a flight risk and danger to the public.

Malana, the Homeland Security special agent, alleged in the affidavit that Theros fled from Panama in June after law enforcement there began investigating him for human trafficking.

Theros was under investigation after crew members on board a boat had reported to Panamanian officials that they saw Theros engaging in a sex act with the girl, Malana wrote.

Malana said Theros was trying to bring the girl to Maui by joining the crew of a boat posing as father and daughter.

He added that girl did not have a visa because Theros paid money to the girl’s parents to “adopt” her and her older sister in Thailand.

The older sister, now 19 and living in Thailand, has denied that she had sex with Theros, federal agents said.

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