GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM Keith Kalani Akana left federal court yesterday afternoon after his arraignment on charges of child pornography. Akana pleaded not guilty. His trial is set for Oct. 1.

Man traded child porn,
prosecutor says

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By Treena Shapiro
tshapiro@starbulletin.com

A 45-year-old Waiau Elementary School teacher and kumu hula admitted that he went into Internet chat rooms and exchanged child pornography images with a variety of people, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence Tong.

Keith Kalani Akana pleaded not guilty yesterday to federal child pornography charges. Tong said Akana admitted exchanging the images during an interview on April 30.

Akana is accused of possessing a collection of computer graphic files that depicted minors engaged in sexually explicit activities.

His trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 1 at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway.

If convicted, Akana faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine

Akana's attorney Sam King Jr., made no comment except "what he's not charged with is anything to do with his hula halau or teaching."

Akana is on paid leave from his teaching job and his hula halau is primarily adults, King said.

According to Tong, the charges against Akana stem from a U.S. Customs investigation of a Milwaukee man, who allegedly distributed child pornography over the Internet.

When the Milwaukee man's computer files were searched, investigators found a name on his Internet buddy list that they traced back to Akana, Tong said.

Tong would not say if other Hawaii residents were found on the list.

Akana's work and home computers were searched, but no evidence was found that he had accessed any child pornography at the school, Tong said.

He added that the charges did not include any inappropriate contact with any child.

Akana was released after posting $25,000 bail, under conditions that he cannot leave the state, view any form of child pornography, have unsupervised contact with minors or use the Internet from any location.

Looking at Akana's history, Tong said, "he probably has not committed any crimes and probably never would except for his interest in child pornography."

The Internet restriction is meant "to keep him from reoffending, to act on any impulses he might have had and to make sure the defendant is not falling back in this behavior."