FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KFSM) — A former Fayetteville School District administrator accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl has been arrested for misdemeanor harassment.
Mark Oesterle, 46, resigned last month after the sexual assault charges were filed in Washington County Circuit Court.
The harassment charge stems from an incident in December 2018, when Oesterle allegedly subjected someone to "offensive physical contact," according to court documents.
The city prosecutor's office declined to comment Thursday (April 27) citing the pending case but confirmed Fayetteville police investigated the issue earlier this year.
The sexual assault allegations don't involve Fayetteville students and occurred prior to his hiring, according to a school spokesman.
Oesterle reportedly touched the girl's breast on different occasions in 2015, according to court documents.
At the time, Oesterle was working in the Springdale School District, spending parts of the school year as an assistant principal at Har-Ber High School and the Don Tyson School of Innovation.
He joined the Fayetteville School District in 2016 and served as the executive director of secondary education at the time of his resignation.
Springdale school officials said no charges were filed against Oesterle during his tenure in the district.
Rick Schaeffer, district spokesman, said officials didn't learn of the allegations until Oesterle left the district.
Springdale police investigated the allegations and forwarded their case to the prosecutor's office, according to Lt. Jeff Taylor.
Further details weren't available due to the alleged victim being a juvenile, Taylor said.
Oesterle has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and his trial is set for May 31. He was free on a $25,000 bond at the time of his harassment arrest.
In Arkansas, Second-degree sexual assault is a Class B felony, which carries a punishment of up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $15,000.
Oesterle is free on a $535 bond. He's due back in Fayetteville District Court on June 14.
Harassment is a Class A misdemeanor -- the most serious misdemeanors in state law -- and is publishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine.