A 33-year-old elementary school teacher in Tokyo has been arrested after he allegedly tried to rape a fifth-grade girl at the school, police said Friday.

Taku Hashimoto took the student to a conference room in the school Thursday when she experienced muscle pain after extracurricular activities and tried to rape her. But he gave up after she started crying when he removed her clothes, they said.

He has owned up to the offense, they said.

The girl told her parents, who contacted local police through an acquaintance.

Hashimoto has been a teacher for 10 years, four of which were at his current school, located in Setagaya Ward. The school's principal said, "He was liked by the children, and so it is regrettable that he was involved in such an incident."