Seaman Smitten With Schoolgirl Set To Abandon Ship

A fisheries high school technician who has been punished for sexually harassing a girl on a school training ship while it was sailing off Hawaii in June is poised to resign, school board officials said.The Fukuoka Prefectural Board of Education suspended the 48-year-old technician at Fukuoka Prefectural Fisheries High School in Fukutsu from duty for two months effective on Thursday, and is set to accept his resignation. "I was in love with her. I'm sorry for her," the technician was quoted as telling board officials. Earlier this year the technician, whose name has not been disclosed, sent a letter to the girl who was then 17 years old, asking her to date him, board officials said. He grabbed her hand on the school's training boat on the evening of June 20 while it was sailing off Hawaii on a training cruise, the officials said. He attempted to kiss her, but she escaped.