Hawai’i Internet Sex Offender Sentenced to 9 Months in Jail

By Wendy Osher

A Honolulu man, convicted of exposing himself via webcam to a 14 year-old girl in Australia, has been sentenced to nine months in prison.

Kyle K. Saito, 22, pleaded guilty to the offense on June 23, 2011, and was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge J. Michael Seabright.

Once he is released from prison, Saito will be subject to three years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

Saito admitted in court that he engaged in sexually explicit communications over the internet and used a webcam to broadcast live images of his genitalia to the girl, according to the US Department of Justice.

“Perverts who prey on children via the internet have no regard for international borders,” said FBI Special Agent Tom Simon, from the FBI Honolulu office.

The agency worked in cooperation with Australian authorities to investigate the case, with the help of the US Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood.

“International crime requires international cooperation. In this case, the Australian authorities and the FBI worked together seamlessly to bring a sex offender to justice,” said Simon.

US Attorney Nakakuni said that this prosecution demonstrates that there are real consequences for anyone who thinks that he or she may act with impunity or anonymity with regard to criminal conduct with minors over the internet.

“Parents should keep an eye on the people their kids communicate with on the internet. There is a world of creeps out there,” said Special Agent Simon.