Former HPD officer convicted of child sex assault crimes now facing civil suit

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Former Honolulu police officer Jessie Laconsay, who is already serving a 10 year sentence for sexually assaulting a teen, faces even more punishment.

The mother of the victim is taking him to civil court for monetary damages, but Laconsay's attorney says the lawsuit may backfire.

Laconsay pleaded no contest to multiple charges, admitting that he had been assaulting the girl for several years, beginning when she was about 12 years old. The 10-year veteran of the force would babysit the child while her mother, who is also a police officer, would have to work.

In June of last year, the mother caught him in the act after returning from work early. The then 37-year old Laconsay took off in his subsidized vehicle. That triggered an island wide manhunt that ended the next day, when Laconsay was found near Dillingham Airfield, his wrists slashed.

Laconsay made a tearful apology at his sentencing hearing earlier this year, ending the criminal case.

But now, the girl's mother has filed a civil suit against him, seeking damages for causing severe emotional distress.

"Not just molesting your child but is actually sexually assaulting your child repeatedly," says the woman's attorney, Myles Breiner, who says Laconsay also threatened the girl if she said anything, "Terrorizing your child so the child is not reporting this to her mother."

Laconsay's attorney, Megan Kau, calls the civil suit puzzling. She says Laconsay doesn't have any money to go after, "He has no job he's been separated from the HPD," Kau also says Laconsay doesn't own a home or car and will be in prison for at least the next five years so he won't be able to make any money.

Kau also says the 'no-contest' plea prevented the teen from having to take the stand at trial. The civil suit would force her to testify, "She would have been subject to cross examination in a public courtroom."

Myles Breiner says he will discuss that issue with the girl's mother as the case moves through the courts, "We don't want to increase the pain and suffering of the victim in this case. On the other hand, the perpetrator deserves to be punished. He shouldn't simply be allowed to go to jail do his time, there should be collateral consequences one of which is a civil judgment."

Both attorneys expect the civil suit to take about three years.