REPORT FROM US ATTORNEY – A federal grand jury returned a four count indictment today against Pearl City (Oahu) resident Ray K. Yokoyama, age 52, for producing, distributing and possessing child pornography.
Florence T. Nakakuni, United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, said that according to the indictment and other court filings, Yokoyama (1) produced child pornography using a minor on two occasions in 2009, (2) distributed child pornography over an Internet filesharing network in July 2012, and (3) possessed child pornography in January 2013.
Yokoyama was previously charged in a criminal complaint on January 18, 2013. According to an affidavit filed in support of the complaint, the Federal Bureau of Investigation initiated an investigation after an undercover agent in Dallas, Texas downloaded child pornography from a computer in Hawaii. Agents traced the computer’s Internet Protocol address to Yokoyama’s home in Pearl City, and executed a search warrant for the residence. Agents recovered computer storage media, including a disk that contained images of a minor boy engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The grand jury indictment contains two charges that Yokoyama produced child pornography, one charge that he distributed child pornography, and one charge that he possessed images, including those of a minor under the age of 12 years. Each production charge carries a minimum penalty of 15 years imprisonment, and up to 30 years of imprisonment, as well as the possibility of lifetime supervised release. The distribution and possession charges each carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
Yokoyama has been detained since his arrest on January 18, 2013. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and Yokoyama is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, Honolulu Division, with support from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Tong.