A 48-year-old man accused of refusing to leave the dormitory of two University of Hawai'i-Manoa female students from Japan was granted a jury trial yesterday in District Court.

Eldon Paul Cox, also known as Paul Anderson, was charged last week with misdemeanor first-degree criminal trespassing and petty misdemeanor harassment.

Cox is expected to plead not guilty, said his attorney, Jeffrey Hawk. His case will likely go to trial at the end of March or early April, Hawk said.

Cox appeared in court yesterday, where District Judge Edwin Nacino granted his request for a jury trial.

According to Hawai'i Criminal Justice Data Center records, Cox had 18 convictions between March 2004 and July 2006. Fifteen were for misdemeanors and three were felony convictions for theft. His probation was revoked twice in July 2006.

Cox, who is fluent in Japanese, allegedly followed two students on Jan. 26 from Ala Moana Center to UH's Hale Noelani dormitory at 8:30 p.m. The students said he at first refused to leave but did so after a roommate came home.

Cox was arrested on Jan. 29 and charged with criminal trespassing and harassment by East Honolulu Crime Reduction Unit officers at 700 Ke'eaumoku St. Cox listed no permanent local address at his booking.

Cox's bail totals $3,000.

The case follows several incidents of security breaches at the UH-Manoa dormitories. At least three break-ins were reported at the dormitories last semester, including one incident where a man tried to use his cell phone to photograph a woman in a shower.

Hawk said there appears to be an "unnatural preoccupation" with Cox's cases on the part of the media, noting that it involves a petty misdemeanor.

"There seems to be more important cases going on," Hawk said.

Reach Loren Moreno at lmoreno@honoluluadvertiser.com.