Judge orders former Moanalua coach held as FBI investigates possible additional victims
A former Hawaii high school wrestling coach will stay in federal custody on child abuse material charges, and investigators now believe there may be more victims.
- A federal judge rejected release for the former Moanalua High School girls wrestling coach, who is charged with receiving and possessing child abuse material.
- The case started in January with a tip about an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old student he coached.
- Investigators found more than 5,000 WhatsApp messages with the teenager over about 25 days, plus explicit images in his iCloud account.
- Prosecutors said the FBI got five new tips after his arrest, three of them credible, pointing to possible additional victims.
- His lawyers offered GPS monitoring, no internet, no contact with minors and supervision by his parents, but the judge called those conditions too weak to protect the community.
Outlook: A preliminary hearing is set for October 13, and he faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.