PHOENIX — An Arizona man who is a convicted sex offender is accused of posing as a doctor at an elementary school and sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl, authorities said.

According to the Phoenix Police Department, Abel Kai Gblah, 25, of Phoenix, was arrested and charged with sexual assault and kidnapping.

The incident happened at around 12:20 p.m. MT on Nov. 19 at Orangewood Elementary School. According to police, a man entered school grounds and encountered a girl who was going to the nurse’s office.

Police said that Gblah told the child he was a doctor and steered her into an empty classroom where the alleged assault happened.

“At some point, the student was able to push the man away,” Phoenix police Sgt. Rob Scherer said. “He then ran from the scene before officers arrived.”

According to police, Gblah was later located at his home, where he was taken into custody. He denied being at the school or knowing the victim. Police found evidence to dispute that claim, including the discovery of a shirt that he was seen wearing when he was captured on school surveillance video.

According to a statement from the school district, Orangewood Elementary officials placed the school on lockdown for 85 minutes.

“Upon investigation, it was determined that the individual gained access behind a student who was buzzed in through the main entrance,” the statement read. “He was on campus for approximately 10 minutes and during that time, he made inappropriate contact with a student.”

Online court records show that Gblah is a level 2 sex offender. He was previously convicted in connection with a 2021 case involving child sex crimes.

Court records also showed that Gblah was offered a plea deal three years ago and pleaded guilty to sexual conduct with a minor, while charges of child sex trafficking and luring a minor were dismissed.

Scherer said he believed the attack was premeditated.

“I don’t think this was just a crime of opportunity. This is one of those pre-planned events and (he) decided, ‘This is what I’m going to do,” he said. “‘This is how I’m going to do it. This is what I’m going to do to get done what he wanted to get done.”

Gblah is being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond for the new allegations. Due to his probation violations, a judge ruled that Gblah cannot be released on bond.

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