SAN JOSE — A San Jose police officer was arrested Monday on suspicion of sexual misconduct against a minor that occurred between 2008 and 2012 while he worked as a facilitator at a Santa Clara County program providing guidance to parents, authorities said.

Saul Duran has been charged with five counts of lewd and lascivious acts against a child aged 14 or 15, Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said at a news conference Tuesday. Duran also allegedly targeted a second girl — the first survivor’s older sister — but Rosen said those acts cannot be formally charged because they are outside the statute of limitations.

“When a San Jose police officer violates the community’s trust, violates the law or victimizes a member of our community, I will humbly stand before you and take accountability,” said SJPD Chief Paul Joseph. “Our actions today will hopefully show that there is no protection for any officer who is alleged to have committed such a serious crime or who has caused harm.”

The investigation into Duran’s actions began June 18 after the two sisters, who are now adults, reported the alleged incidents to the SJPD, Joseph said. It was conducted in coordination with the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.

Duran, who has been a police officer since 2003, was placed on administrative leave from the police department a week before he was arrested, Joseph added. Joseph said officials waited to put him on leave so they could conduct the investigation without tipping him off, then decided to put him on leave when they had to reach out to him for evidence.

Duran met the sisters in an official capacity as a police officer while working with the Santa Clara County Parent Project, a program that provides guidance to parents raising their children, Joseph said. The alleged incidents occurred when Duran began to interact with the girls outside the program, which is prohibited by the program’s policy, he added.

“We are committed to conducting thorough investigations in search of justice, even if that justice is long delayed,” Joseph said. “Having a police officer as a suspect in a case like this only amplifies the relentlessness of our investigators and of this investigation.”

Duran met the two girls when they were 14 and 15 years old, Joseph said. Duran gained the family’s trust and was percieved by the girls’ mother to be a good influence. Duran then began to spend time with the girls outside the program with their mother’s knowledge, he added.

Rosen added that the alleged conduct against the older sister is “relevant to the charges” even though it cannot be charged. There is also further alleged behavior committed against the younger sister when she was 18 that also cannot be charged but that will be “persuasive for a jury to hear,” he said.

“We want to thank both of these young women for their courage,” Rosen said. “Without them, we would all still be in the dark.”

Rosen added that Duran was previously fired from the Parent Project based on complaints that were not criminal in nature but that are “concerning” in hindsight — that Duran would spend time with women, both minors and adults, outside of the program hours.

Joseph encouraged other possible survivors who may have been afraid to report Duran because of his position as a police officer to come foward. Rosen added that any “troubling interactions” had with Duran at the Parent Project should also be reported.

“While we are not currently aware of additional survivors, if you are out there, we want to hear from you, and you can trust us to hold those responsible accountable,” Joseph said.

Rosen said that the Parent Project is reevaluating how its teachers are vetted and trained.

Joseph added that he has requested a review of the policies in place for police programs that involve minors. He also reported the investigation to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training as required by law.

Duran was booked into the Santa Clara County jail and posted $250,000 bail. He will appear in court for his arraignment at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 7.

“This is a difficult moment for our department and for everyone who shares this uniform,” Joseph said. “It is also devastating for our entire community to see an officer accused of violating enormous trust placed in him. … These allegations absolutely do not represent the extraordinary men and women who do an unbelievable job protecting this city every day, the very men and women who investigated this case against one of their own and are deserving of your continued trust.”