A 25-year-old convicted sex offender pleaded guilty in Circuit Court yesterday to raping three boys under the age of 14.

Kaulana Futoshi Hirakawa, sentenced last week to more than 21 years in federal prison for taking a picture of a nude 8-year-old boy and posting it online, admitted raping that boy who was then 10, and two other boys who were 6 and 13. The assaults occurred in 2003, 2006 and 2007.

The former Disney Store salesclerk appeared in Judge Richard Pollack's courtroom in shackles. He pleaded guilty to nine counts: five counts of first-degree sexual assault, three counts of third-degree sexual assault, and one count of first-degree promoting child abuse.

Attorney Jeff Hawk said Hirakawa faces up to 20 years on the state charge. He will request that Hirakawa be allowed to serve the state term concurrent with the federal term at his sentencing on Feb. 18.

Hawk said his client pleaded guilty because he knows what he did was wrong. “;He didn't want to put the families through a trial,”; he said.

As part of his guilty plea, Hirakawa is required to submit blood samples and register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.