Okinawa City Police arrested a construction worker from Okinawa City, Friday, on suspicion of an attempted rape of an elementary school girl in a stairway of a building in the middle part of the island.

According to police, 36-year-old Ryuji Takayama is suspected of approaching the girl on Nov. 14th when she was alone on her way home from school. He asked the girl to go with him, and allegedly took her into the first floor stairway of a building with the intent to sexually assault her.

Two women walking by noticed what was happening, and Takayama ran away from the scene. The girl was not injured. When questioned, Takayama has denied the charges.

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