A convicted murderer who worked with a Dane County program for troubled youths was charged last week for both sexual assault and attempted sexual assault involving two 14-year-old girls in the program.

Bobbie E. Austin, 51, of Madison, who shot and killed a man over a dispute in a dice game in 1975, was charged with second-degree sexual assault of a child, attempted second-degree sexual assault of a child and child enticement after several girls told program officials Austin had made sexual advances on them.

According to a criminal complaint, a girl told Madison Police that on July 29 Austin had rested his hand on her leg and had touched her breasts as he drove her home from the program July 26.

A second girl came forward in August, telling police during that 2000 summer Austin told her she was pretty, began kissing her, exposed himself to her, asking her to have sex with him.

Hired in 1997 to work for The Neighborhood Intervention Program, Austin’s criminal background was not sufficient cause to deny him employment, said Susan Crowley, Director of the Dane County Department of Human Services, which oversees the program.

“We knew about it, but state law is clear you can’t discriminate based on a past conviction,” said Crowley, who added that the decision to hire Austin had taken into consideration the fact that Austin’s criminal record had not included crimes involving children.

Crowley, while stressing the infrequency of such a scenario, said she believes the county will choose its employees more cautiously.

“I think this will cause us to be more selective, but I would also say this is a highly unusual circumstance,” she said.