HONOLULU (KHON2) — A task force that targets internet crimes against children made multiple arrests over the weekend.
Members from all islands’ police departments, Attorney General’s office, HSI, Army CID, NCIS and the Secret Service took part in this weekend’s Operation Keiki Shield.
Together, the agencies arrested 13 individuals on suspicion of sexual exploitation of minors.
HPD Chief Joe Logan said the males arrested ranged in age from 22 to 61 years old and all had local places of residence. Among those arrested were four military members.
The charges, Commercial Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and First Degree Electronic Enticement of a Child, are Class B crimes and carry a maximum of 10 years in prison, according to Chief Logan.
“We want to aggressively prosecute these individuals, we want to deter future conduct and we want to commensurately punish the conduct in these specific cases,” said the Division Chief for Special Investigations and Prosecutions for the Attorney General’s office, David Van Acker.
Since the first Operation Keiki Shield in 2019, there have been over 80 arrests, including this week’s puts that total over 90.
