Oahu Girls’ Wrestling Coach Indicted for Production, Distribution, Receipt, and Possession of Child Pornography and Child Sex Trafficking
News Release from U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Hawaii, Friday, October 16, 2026
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Sean Sakaida, 44, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was indicted on October 15, 2026, and charged with four counts of production of child pornography, four counts of distribution of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography, four counts of possession of child pornography, and one count of child sex trafficking. He was previously arrested and taken into custody on September 24, 2026, after being charged by criminal complaint.
According to court records, Sakaida, a former coach of the girls’ wrestling team at Moanalua High School, frequently communicated with a minor victim using the messaging application WhatsApp between 2025 and 2026. In these communications, Sakaida received multiple sexually explicit photographs of the minor victim. As charged in the indictment, he also produced and distributed multiple videos of himself engaged in sexual acts with the minor victim. Sakaida was also charged with enticing a second minor victim into engaging in a commercial sex act.
If convicted, Sakaida faces at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison on each production count, at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison on each distribution and receipt count, up to 10 years in prison on each possession count, up to life in prison on the sex trafficking count, a fine of up to $250,000, plus a term of supervised release.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi Turner is prosecuting the case.
The FBI’s Honolulu Field Office is seeking to identify potential victims of Sean Sakaida. If you and/or your minor dependent(s) were victimized by Sean Sakaida or have information relevant to this investigation, please fill out this short form: https://forms.fbi.gov/victims/SakaidaVictims/view
If you know of someone else who has possibly been victimized by Sean Sakaida, please encourage them to complete the form themselves.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
KITV: Former Moanalua High School girls wrestling coach indicted on child pornography, child sex trafficking charges | Crime & Courts | kitv.com
KHON: Former Hawaii wrestling coach faces federal indictment
SA: Ex-Moanalua wrestling coach indicted for sex crimes with underage girls | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
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Oahu Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Producing Child Pornography
News Release from U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Hawaii, Friday, October 16, 2026
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that David Yamamoto, 28, of Waipahu, Hawaii, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Shanlyn A.S. Park to 264 months in federal prison for the production of child pornography, followed by 10 years of supervised release. District Judge Park remanded Yamamoto into custody immediately at the end of sentencing.
According to court records, from in or around 2023 to 2025, Yamamoto used online gaming and messaging applications to find and groom children located in the United States and in foreign countries to send him sexually explicit videos and images of themselves. Yamamoto misrepresented his age by posing as a teenager on gaming applications geared towards teens and preteens. He then offered and sent money and gifts to over ten children as payment for engaging in sexually explicit live stream video calls with him and for sending sexually explicit imagery of themselves at his direction.
Yamamoto exchanged tens of thousands of online messages with minors, ranging in age from ten to seventeen years old. In messaging minors, he directed them to expose their genitals in particular poses or insert objects into their genitals, create sexually explicit videos involving urination and masturbation, and recreate images of explicit adult pornography that he had sent to the minors.
“The devastating harm Yamamoto inflicted on his numerous victims can never be undone, but his 22-year sentence sends a potent message that those who prey upon our children will face harsh penalties in federal court,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “Along with our steadfast partners at FBI, we will continue to hunt down child predators like Yamamoto and bring them to justice.”
“This sentence sends a clear message to any individuals who exploit children online: the FBI will find you, and you will face justice,” said FBI Honolulu Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan C. Noonan. “Yamamoto preyed on minors by hiding behind technology, but his actions did not go unseen. The FBI and our federal partners remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard children and to pursue those who would harm them, wherever they are and however they operate.”
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca A. Perlmutter prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
KHON: Waipahu man gets 22 years for child exploitation
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Las Vegas Man Charged with Blackmailing Child into Producing Child Pornography
News Release from U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Hawaii, Friday, October 16, 2026
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Al Justin Carter, 24, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was indicted on October 15, 2026, with Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Before being indicted, Carter was also charged by criminal complaint and arrested on October 14, 2026. Carter is scheduled to appear for a detention hearing on October 20, 2026.
According to the unsealed criminal complaint and other court records, on December 16, 2024, Carter persuaded and coerced a minor victim, who lived in Hawaii and was 13 years old at the time, to make a sexually explicit video of herself and send that video to Carter over the internet. Carter told the minor victim that if she did not send him the sexually explicit video, he would make public other sexually explicit videos Carter had in his possession that featured the minor victim.
If convicted, Carter faces up to life in prison, a $250,000 fine, plus a term of supervised release.
The charge in the indictment and criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Nammar is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
KHON: Al Justin Carter indicted for coercing minor into explicit video