Settlement reached in Grand Island kidnapping of Utah child

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KSNB) – A man arrested for kidnapping a Utah child in Grand Island in 2022 has taken a plea deal in the federal case filed against him in Utah.

Tadashi Kojima, 28, pleaded guilty to transporting a minor for the purpose of engaging in criminal sexual activity, federal court records said. Prosecutors dropped the kidnapping charge.

Grand Island Police arrested Kojima on December 28, 2022, after officers responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle at a gas station. Officers found a child and an adult sitting inside a white Toyota Avalon in Git N Split, south of Grand Island. boy one Kid kidnapped from Utah.

Hall County court documents show the teen went missing on Dec. 26 and was believed to be with the suspect, speaking both online and via SMS and FaceTime.

The accusations against Kojima continue in Hall County; where Kojima faces three counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child, one count of third-degree sexual assault and one count of resisting arrest. A hearing on those charges is scheduled for February.

As for the sentence to be given in federal court regarding the charge, no date has been specified as to whether the court will accept the defense.

Kojima faces 10 years to life in prison on the federal charge.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story stated that Kojima pleaded guilty to the pornography charge.

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