Hilo Man Charged in Child Exploitation Case After Google Tip

Oct 23, 2026

A Hilo man was arrested and charged after Google flagged his account to child safety authorities, leading police straight to his door.

  • Prosecutors charged 44-year-old Cetwin Sanborn Jr. with possessing child sexual abuse material.
  • Google reported Sanborn to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in June after spotting hundreds of illegal files uploaded to his photo account over a 10-year span.
  • Police traced his phone to a Hilo apartment, where they found him along with marijuana during the search.
  • A judge denied his release, setting bail above $30,000.

Outlook: Sanborn returns to court next Monday and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

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