A U.S. Customs and Border Protection K-9 officer was charged with three counts of first-degree child molestation on March 22 in King County Superior Court.

He is being held at the Kent Regional Justice Center on a high bail of $350,000 due to the scope of the alleged sexual abuse and his employment as a law enforcement officer, according to charging documents.

Federal Way police arrested Christian John Hauserman, 48, at the CBP office in SeaTac on March 20, according to police documents. The investigation was initiated when an acquaintance of Hauserman notified police that he had allegedly molested her daughter for several years on countless occassions, beginning when the victim was about 6 or 7 years old, according to court documents.

During an interview with a Federal Way detective, Hauserman admitted that while he was in the bathroom of his Federal Way home, he sent the girl, who was in the living room, a text message asking her for a hug. He also admitted to molesting the victim on multiple occassions, as well as exposing himself to her and having her touch his genitals, according to charging documents.

Hauserman told the detective that he was sorry, that he disgraced his badge and his family, the documents continue.

Jason Givens, a public affairs specialist for U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Washington state, said Hauserman was a CBP K-9 handler assigned to the Area Port of Seattle. He was placed on unpaid administrative leave and he later resigned.

“U.S. Customs and Border Protection stresses professionalism, honor and integrity in every aspect of our mission and does not tolerate actions by any employee, on or off duty, that would tarnish the reputation of our agency,” Givens said in a statement. “An overwhelming majority of CBP employees and officers are law-abiding federal employees who perform their duties with honor and distinction.”