Man from Papaikou charged with sexual abuse of minors

A 38-year-old man from Papaikou faces numerous charges for sexually assaulting an underage girl that began more than a decade ago.

A grand jury in Hilo on August 28 indicted Jeremy Kaaukai on 10 counts: he is accused of continuous sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 14, four counts of first-degree sexual abuse and five counts of third-degree sexual abuse.

The indictment states that the alleged crimes took place between July 20, 2012 and September 1, 2016.

The victim, who was born in 2005 and will become an adult in 2023, is identified in the indictment only by her initials. However, the Tribune-Herald's policy is not to identify victims of sexual assault unless they go public.

The document alleges both sexual contact and sexual penetration between Kaaukai and the girl, who was not old enough to give legal consent.

An arrest warrant issued with the indictment set Kaaukai's bail at $250,000 and ordered him to stay at least 300 feet away from the victim, his family, their home and place of work.

According to a police report, Kaaukai was arrested late Saturday morning. As of late Tuesday afternoon, it was unclear whether he was still in custody or had been released on bail.

First-degree sexual assault and continued sexual assault of a minor are both Class A felonies, which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison upon conviction. Third-degree sexual assault is a Class C felony, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Kaaukai, who has no prior criminal record, is scheduled to appear before Hilo District Court Judge Henry Nakamoto at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 10.

Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.