Although sexual assault charges against him were dismissed, a 31-year-old man remained in custody yesterday in connection with a misdemeanor case.

Shane Ngirmidol was arrested May 8, the day after a 4-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted in a toolshed in the backyard of her Kalihi home.

Ngirmidol was charged with first-degree sexual assault and related counts and held on $50,000 bail, but the charges were dropped by city prosecutors on Tuesday.

The first-degree sexual assault charge carries a prison term of up to 20 years.

But Ngirmidol remained in custody at O'ahu Community Correctional Center, unable to post bail of $500, on five charges of assault and criminal property damage, according to Louise Kim McCoy, Department of Public Safety spokeswoman.

The charges relate to a 2003 case, according to Jim Fulton, executive assistant with the city prosecutor's office.

Ngirmidol is accused of misdemeanor third-degree assault and fourth-degree criminal property damage. He is charged with throwing an object at someone's head and damaging a car and a wooden gate the morning of July 4, 2003, Fulton said.

He was later charged with contempt of court for not showing up for his case.

State Public Defender Jack Tonaki, whose office represented Ngirmidol in the sex assault case, said the dismissal suggested police and prosecutors did not adequately screen the case before filing the criminal charges.

City Prosecutor Peter Carlisle declined to comment on the reasons for the dismissal or on Tonaki's comments. Carlisle said his comments might jeopardize the ongoing investigation into the case.