Judge orders ex-Moanalua wrestling coach held in child pornography case

Sep 30, 2026

A former championship high school wrestling coach in Honolulu will stay in jail while he faces child pornography charges, a decision that favors prosecutors and the families involved.

  • Sean Sakaida, longtime wrestling coach at Moanalua High School, is charged with possessing child pornography and will remain behind bars.
  • His lawyer asked for home detention with his parents, but prosecutors said other victims could be at risk if he went free.
  • Court filings describe nude images of a 17-year-old student and messages about sex, with the alleged relationship starting when she was a freshman.
  • Honolulu police got a complaint in 2012 that he kissed a 13-year-old at another school; nothing was proven, and he was hired at Moanalua the next year.
  • MMA champion Ilima Macfarlane, who helped bring down her own former coach, is urging schools to take such complaints seriously.

Outlook: The FBI is asking more people to come forward, so additional victims and charges are likely.

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