by Andrew Walden
“FBI search warrant. FBI search warrant.”
A dozen heavily armed FBI agents yanked Dwayne Yuen out of his Manoa home at 8AM this morning.
Clad only in white shorts, Yuen, was cuffed and soon whisked away in an unmarked FBI vehicle. Yuen, a former Punahou coach most recently known to be coaching for City High Basketball, has been accused of sexual offenses against underage female athletes--but never charged by State or County authorities.
Meanwhile , FBI agents and techs combed Yuen’s sprawling home on Kahaloa Place. Among items removed from the house, several security cameras.
Dwayne Yuen, center
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Youth Basketball Coach Arrested for Possession of Child Pornography
News Release from U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Hawaii, Thursday, February 2, 2023
HONOLULU – DWAYNE YUEN, a 49 year-old resident of Honolulu, was arrested today for possession of child pornography. Clare E. Connors, United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, and Matthew Floyd, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Honolulu Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced that the charge against YUEN was contained in a criminal complaint filed in federal court and unsealed upon his arrest. YUEN will make his first court appearance in the United States District Court on February 3, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. before United States Magistrate Judge Rom Trader.
The complaint and affidavit allege that YUEN was a youth basketball coach of mostly middle school and high school age girls in and around Oahu. In or around 2016, YUEN met the victim when she was a freshman in high school. YUEN was her basketball coach. While the victim was still a minor, in 2020, YUEN sent text message communications to her, including: sending sexually explicit photos of himself; asking her to perform sexual acts on him and vice versa; and asking her to send him sexually explicit images of herself. YUEN bought gifts for the victim and repeatedly offered to pay the victim additional sums of money if she would engage with him sexually (for example, if she would have “phone sex” with him). From a search warrant executed on YUEN’s Apple iCloud account, law enforcement also recovered sexually explicit images of the victim that she had sent to him upon his request or that he had recorded or captured from a live video chat without her knowledge.
“This complaint charges defendant with repeatedly taking sexual advantage of a minor who played on a team he coached,” said U.S. Attorney Connors. “The alleged conduct is a reprehensible violation of the trust both parents and the community place in adults responsible for their children’s athletic endeavors.”
"The alleged actions of Mr. Yuen are nothing short of disgraceful," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Floyd. "Our investigation shows he abused the power of his position as a trusted member of the community to exploit the most vulnerable - our keiki. Protecting our children and holding those who prey on them accountable is a top priority for the FBI. We will stop at nothing when investigating these heinous crimes."
The FBI is working to identify any individuals who may have been a victim of child sexual exploitation or who otherwise may have been affected by YUEN’s conduct. If you believe you or anyone else may have been affected, you may contact the FBI at:
Phone: (808) 673-2719
Website: www.fbi.gov/yueninvestigation
Email: yueninvestigation@fbi.gov
If indicted and convicted of the offenses in the complaint, the defendant would face up to 10 years’ imprisonment. The charges and information contained in the federal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until indicted and proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The FBI is investigating the case, and the prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca Perlmutter and Christine Olson.
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Federal Court Calendar
Judge Rom Trader Feb 3, 2023
Date 02/03/2023
Time 10:30 AM
Case # 1:23-mj-00114-KJM
Room Courtroom 5
- Plaintiff USA
- Plaintiff's Attorneys -- Christine Olson, Rebecca Ann Perlmutter
- Defendant -- Dwayne Yuen
- Defendant's Attorneys -- Melinda K. Yamaga
- Description -- Initial Appearance
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FBI Feb 2, 2023: Seeking Victim Information in Dwayne Yuen Investigation
The FBI’s Honolulu Division is seeking to identify potential victims of Dwayne Yuen, who has been charged and arrested for possession of sexually explicit photos of underage individuals.
It is believed Yuen contacted his victims in person and via electronic communications, engaging in the illegal activity for years, as far back as 2004. Although Yuen resided on Oahu, he may have traveled to other islands and locations while coaching basketball throughout the years.
If you believe you or your minor dependent(s) were victimized by Yuen, or you have information relevant to this investigation, please fill out this questionnaire and/or contact FBI Honolulu at (808) 673-2719 or yueninvestigation@fbi.gov.
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COVERAGE:
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Here is some background on the case:
HNN 2022: ‘My blood was boiling’: Outrage grows as coach accused of sex abuse continues working with minors
Yuen declined an interview, but stood by a previously released statement on the alleged acts that took place nearly 20 years ago.
“I disputed these allegations in court,” the statement said. “The cases were settled by my insurance carrier with no admission of any wrongdoing and no trial on the merits and were dismissed with prejudice on Jan. 4, 2022. This was one of several suits brought against Punahou in 2020, the others had nothing to do with my conduct.”
The statement continued:
“After I ended my employment at Punahou School I taught in the DOE from 2006-2018 and I have also coached basketball teams from 2009 until the present time. There has never been another complaint against me. My coaching is a way to volunteer and give back to the community. I do not understand Punahou’s continued attempts to discredit me and raise doubts about my conduct after such a lengthy period of time.”
City High Basketball also released a statement earlier this week standing by Yuen, saying he’s coached the team for three years and “is a valued member of the organization. We support Dwayne as a continued part of our staff.”
Bob Jones Report 2021: Coach’s Sex Assault Of Student Suit May Be Settled
SA 2020: Basketball Star Shawna-Lei Kuehu Sues Former Coach, Punahou School Over Alleged Sexual Abuse.