Puna man sentenced to 10 years in prison for electronically seducing a minor

On Monday, a 32-year-old Puna man became the second defendant sentenced to 10 years in prison in the so-called “Operation Keiki Shield.”

Hilo Circuit Judge Peter Kubota sentenced Sonny “Junya” Puerto, of Kurtistown, for first-degree electronic enticement of a child.

Puerto was found guilty by a jury on July 30 of a Class B felony that required him to register as a sex offender.

Puerto was one of five people arrested and charged in May 2021 in the first part of a multi-agency law enforcement blitz targeting sexual predators who use the internet to target minors.

During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Puerto exchanged text messages with an undercover police officer who he believed was a 13-year-old girl. Puerto requested sexual intercourse and other sexual acts in text messages.

According to District Attorney Kelden Waltjen, after the jury verdict was read, Assistant Prosecutors Haaheo Kahoohalahala and Patrick Munoz asked Kubota to order Puerto, who was released on $30,000 bail, to be detained without bail.

The judge denied the request but increased Puerto’s bail to $500,000 and ordered him taken into custody, where he remained until Monday’s sentencing.

Operation Keiki Shield is a state-federal-local collaborative initiative. The 2021 operation involved the Hawaii Police Department, Hawaii County District Attorney’s Office, Attorney General’s Office, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Secret Service, FBI, and Honolulu, Maui, and Kauai police. departments.

The first defendant of Operation Keiki Shield to be convicted was Micaiah Smith, 32, of Kailua-Kona.

A Kona jury found Smith, who was arrested during an operation that occurred between March 31 and April 2 in Kona last year, guilty on April 23 of this year of first-degree electronic seduction of a child and attempting to promote pornography of minors.

Third Circuit Chief Judge Robert Kim, who has since retired and is the chief administrator of the Big Island courts, sentenced Smith to 10 years in prison.

In other active Operation Keiki Shield cases:

• Nolan Okalani Tallett, 48, of Honolulu, pleaded not guilty to first-degree electronic seduction of a child after his arrest in Hilo on May 6, 2021. Plea negotiations are ongoing and a status hearing is scheduled for Jan. 17, according to court records.

Tallett is free on $50,000 bail.

• Kanani Ikaika Perreira-Yurong, 34, of Hilo, pleaded not guilty to first-degree electronic seduction of a child after her arrest on May 9, 2021, in Hilo. The hearing date has not yet been determined, but the hearing is planned to be held on December 12 for the continuation of the trial.

Perreira-Yurong was released on $50,000 bail.

• Marshall K. Baji, 34, of Naalehu, pleaded not guilty to first-degree electronic seduction of a child, attempt to promote pornography to a minor, first-degree attempt to promote a sexual image produced at a minor, possession of methamphetamine, drug possession 6 Possession of a loaded firearm on a public way, carrying illegal ammunition and firearms license and registration offenses following his arrest in May 2021. According to the court; Baji was offered a plea deal, records show, but his defense attorney says they are still preparing for trial. He has a hearing scheduled for February 19 for further proceedings.

Baji remains in custody at the Hawaii Community Correctional Center on $143,000 bail.

• Joseph Michael Powell, 39, of Hilo, arrested on May 7, 2021, pleaded guilty on Aug. 28 to first-degree electronic enticement of a child. In exchange for her plea, prosecutors dropped a charge of attempting to promote pornography of minors and 11 charges of attempting to promote underage nudes. His sentence will be determined on December 5.

Powell remains in custody at HCCC on $82,000 bail.

Email John Burnett at [email protected]