An O'ahu grand jury yesterday indicted a 24-year-old man on six counts of third-degree sexual assault for allegedly fondling four elderly women who were under his care at the Kahala Nui retirement community.

Bail for Mark Genetiano of Kalihi was set at $250,000, and he remained in custody at the O'ahu Community Correctional Center. A new bench warrant was issued for his arrest yesterday, and he will be arraigned at a yet-to-be-determined date.

Genetiano originally was arrested and charged with five counts of sexual assault last week and was accused of fondling three women, ages 89 and 92, while he worked as a certified nurses assistant at the retirement community. But prosecutors said yesterday they've uncovered a fourth victim and that the alleged sexual assaults began on April 1 and continued through June 1.

All of the alleged victims, prosecutors said, were "mentally defective, mentally incapacitated or physically helpless." Genetiano is accused of assaulting two of the women more than once, according to the indictment.

If convicted of the charges, Genetiano would face up to five years in prison on each count. But prosecutors said yesterday they will seek an extended sentence if he is convicted because Genetiano is accused of two or more felonies.

Genetiano was fired soon after the allegations arose.

According to a police affidavit, three of Genetiano's co-workers reported that he pinched the patients' private parts while they were changing clothes or in the bathroom. The co-workers said the women tried to fend off his advances by waving their arms and yelling at him to stop, but Genetiano laughed at them, the affidavit said.

Because the alleged victims suffer from dementia, they are unable to recall the events, a co-worker told police.