James Oliver was arrested at his home in Morgan Hill on Friday afternoon after a 13-year-old girl told police he had approached her as she was walking to Britton Middle School and made sexual comments to her, police said. She said she tried to leave, but he grabbed her arm, preventing her from leaving, and continued to make sexually suggestive remarks for about 15 seconds, police said.
She managed to free herself from his grasp and ran to report the incident to an officer nearby who was assisting with a traffic accident.
Police were able to identify the suspect after notifying the school district and determining there had been prior reports of a suspicious person in the area, police said.
Oliver was booked into Santa Clara County main jail on suspicion of annoying or molesting children and false imprisonment.
Anyone with information regarding the incident or similar incidents is asked to call police Detective Carson Thomas at (408) 779-2101 or the anonymous tip line at (408) 947-STOP (7867).
