MONROE — Police are investigating a child-on-child sexual assault case that involves unusually young children: a 3-year- old girl said to have been victimized by a 9-year-old boy.

        Monroe Police Sgt. P.J. McQueen on Monday said he couldn't recall any other child-on-child sex assaults in his 18 years on the Monroe force, let alone any involving children of such young ages.

        “It's sick,” he said. “It's very sad.”

        The 9-year-old boy was released to his parents awaiting an Aug. 14 preliminary hearing in the county's juvenile court.

        He is charged with a delinquency count of sexual imposition. “He's 9, and you think about where they learned it,” said Detective Kimberly Pant.

        Sex allegations involving children account for a small percentage of cases handled by the county's juve nile court. Last year, among 818 crimes against persons, 43 cases involved sex offenses, including nine cases of sexual imposition — all with male offenders.

        Authorities say the attack was reported Thursday evening at an apartment on Old Street, where several youngsters were playing without adult supervision. It was unclear Monday whether any adults could face charges, Detective Pant said. Butler County Children Services is working on child-protection issues, she said.

        The 3-year-old suffered no physical injuries in what Detective Pant called an “attempt” at intercourse. She said several other children were playing video games in a living room when they heard the 3-year-old girl screaming in an upstairs bedroom.

        They went to investigate and interrupted the attack, authorities said. Three hours later, the girl's father returned home from work, the girl told him about the attack and he called police, Detective Pant said.

        The 3-year-old was examined at Children's Hospital Medical Center and released.

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