A former U.S Postal Service letter carrier pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to possession of computer files containing child pornography. Ex-postal worker
admits to porn charge
By Debra Barayuga
dbarayuga@starbulletin.comDarryl Yonezawa, 47, faces a maximum five years' imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000 when sentenced in December.
Yonezawa's activities came to the attention of law enforcement in August 2000 when he chatted online with an undercover police officer on the mainland in which they discussed various sexually explicit topics involving children, said assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence Tong.
Yonezawa's Internet service provider gave the FBI about 20 images of child pornography associated with his account that had been the subject of complaint by others, Tong said.
A subsequent investigation by the FBI, U.S. Customs and state law enforcement led to a search of Yonezawa's Waipahu home in January 2001 where federal agents seized computer diskettes containing child pornography.
Yonezawa said he knew he had the diskettes, had downloaded the images from the Internet and was going into chat rooms to obtain those types of materials, Tong said.
Yonezawa's activities were not connected to his job with the U.S. Postal Service, a position he gave up recently, Tong said.
In exchange for Yonezawa's plea, prosecutors agreed not to charge him with distributing child pornography over the Internet.
Yonezawa's attorney, Howard Luke, declined comment on the case.
