Hawai‘i Paroling Authority Sets Prison Term of 18 Years for Hilo Man Convicted of Child Sex Assault

A minimum prison sentence of 18 years was set for a Hilo man who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a minor.

In December 2021, 46-year-old Clifton Kua was sentenced to serve a maximum of 20 years in prison. In an April hearing, the Hawai‘i Paroling Authority set Kua’s minimum term at 18 years before being eligible for parole.

“We hope that this serves as a message that protecting our keiki from sexual predators is a top priority of our Office,” said Hawai‘i County Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen. “This prosecution reflects the commitment of our Office and the Hawai‘i Police Department to hold offenders accountable for their actions and seek justice for these egregious offenses.”

In October 2021, Kua pleaded guilty in 3rd Circuit Court to first-degree continuous sexual assault of minor under the age of 14 as well as first-degree sexual assault, both of which are class A felonies, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

The crimes occurred between 2011-17 where Kua agreed to more than three separate acts of sexual penetration or contacts in a continuing course of conduct while they were living in the same home. The 46-year-old also agreed that in October of 2017, he knowingly subjected the same minor, who was 14 years old at the time, to sexual penetration.