A 70-year-old Bremerton man convicted of child molestation in California in 1964 was arrested recently for allegedly molesting an 11-year-old Port Orchard girl, the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office reports.

According to the sheriff’s office, the suspect did not have to register as a sex offender in Kitsap County, even though he had a prior conviction.

A representative from a South Kitsap school called the sheriff’s office after the girl told a school counselor that the man had repeatedly tried to kiss her and rub her in an inappropriate manner.

The girl said she told school officials about the abuse before telling her parents because she was afraid they wouldn’t believe her, according to the report. The suspect is a relative of the girl.

When contacted by a deputy, the suspect admitted he often tried to kiss the girl and put his hands under her shirt when trying to give her a “pink belly,” but that he never touched her in an inappropriate manner. The man was arrested Thursday and charged with first-degree child molestation, with bail set at $250,000.

The sheriff’s office reports that it is unknown why the convicted sex offender did not have to register in Washington.