Officer Arrested on Rape Charge : Simi Valley: The suspect is accused of attacking a woman in 1989. Authorities said he met her while investigating the burglary of her car.

A Simi Valley police officer was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of forcible rape in connection with the alleged sexual assault three years ago of a woman he had met while on duty.

Simi Valley detectives arrested Officer Paul Nolan without incident at his Simi Valley residence Wednesday afternoon.

Nolan, 32, was arrested for allegedly raping a health-care worker at her home on June 18, 1989, after the woman had refused to see him socially, said Simi Valley Police Chief Lindsey P. Miller in a prepared statement.

The woman, who is now 36, did not report the alleged rape, which came to light Tuesday when a friend of the victim disclosed the information to officers during an unrelated investigation, Miller said.

Nolan, who joined the Simi Valley Police Department in January, 1988, had graduated from probationary status and was working as a patrol officer when the alleged rape occurred, said Simi Valley Police Lt. Robert Klamser.

Nolan had met the woman a month earlier when he investigated a vehicle burglary she reported, Miller said. The officer contacted the woman again at her residence in the following days and weeks, seeking a date with her, but was rebuffed, Miller said.

The alleged sexual assault occurred during one of the visits when Nolan was off duty and not in uniform, Klamser said.

“We don’t think there’s any way the assault occurred under ‘color of authority,’ ” Klamser said, referring to the aggravated circumstance of a person exploiting his authority. “The act occurred more than a month after the first contact.”

Klamser said members of the 110-officer force were shocked by the arrest and concerned about its possible effect on the department. “It’s a very difficult time for the department,” he said.

The arrest marks the first time that a Simi Valley officer has been arrested in connection with a forcible sexual assault, Klamser said. Three officers have been fired since 1987 for having sexual affairs with underage girls in the department’s Explorer Scout program.

Earlier this month, the Ventura County district attorney declined to file charges against former officer Kevin Medley, who admitted having a relationship with a 17-year-old Explorer Scout who he later married.

Nolan, who is unmarried, was booked into Ventura County Jail on $250,000 bail late Wednesday. Simi Valley police will turn over its investigation to the district attorney’s office by the end of the week, Miller said.

Nolan has been placed on paid leave until the investigation is completed.

Forcible rape, a felony, carries a maximum penalty of eight years in prison.