Maui Man Indicted for Alleged Sex Assault Found in Thailand

Steven Strike.

By Maui Now Staff

A Pāʻia man indicted earlier this year for the alleged sex assault of a minor under the age of 14 was located in Thailand and extradited back to Maui today, where he is being held without bail, officials said.

The US Marshals Hawaiʻi Fugitive Task Force announced the arrest, saying Steven Strike, 46, was hiding and living at a residence in Pattaya, Thailand for the past 21 months.

Authorities say an initial complaint against Strike was received by the Maui Police Department on Feb. 7, 2012, alleging Strike sexually molested a minor for over a year. He was subsequently arrested and released pending further investigation, officials said.

When Strike was indicted by a Maui Grand Jury in February 2013 on the sex assault allegations, police were unable to located Strike’s whereabouts, and learned that he had fled the state a few days after his arrest, according to the US Marshals Service.

At the request of the Maui Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Hawaiʻi Fugitive Task Force assisted with an investigation that led authorities from Pāʻia, Maui, to Tempe, Arizona, and then finally to Bangkok, Thailand, officials said.

According to reports from the US Marshals Service, Strike was located and arrested on Dec. 1, 2013, by a Regional Security Officer and the Thailand Immigration Authority.

Authorities say Strike is currently being held at the Maui Police Department cellblock awaiting his initial court appearance for a hearing.