FBI Charges O‘ahu Public School Teacher With Distribution of Child Pornography

A public school teacher on O‘ahu was arrested and charged with distribution of child pornography last week.

FBI agents arrested Alden Bunag on Wednesday, June 15, at an O‘ahu high school, where he taught summer school. Authorities say he distributed child pornography through an app called Telegram on his phone, according to court documents filed in federal court.

On Thursday, June 16, Bunag made his initial appearance in federal court before Magistrate Judge Kenneth J. Mansfield. A detention hearing is scheduled for June 21 and a preliminary hearing is set for June 27.

According to court documents, in or around November 2019 through at least October 2021, Bunag knowingly distributed child pornography. Bunag was discovered after FBI agents began investigating a teacher at a private K-12th grade school in Philadelphia for child pornography. Through the course of their investigation, Philadelphia agents found numerous conversations over Telegram between the teacher and Bunag that discussed and traded child pornography with others.

Between March 31, 2018, and Oct. 1, 2021, agents discovered the Philadelphia educator and Bunag exchanged over 3,392 messages, including images and video files.

Last week, FBI special agents in Honolulu executed search warrants at Bunag’s residence and on his person. Bunag also consented to a voluntary interview with agents.

Bunag admitted to having prior sexual contact multiple times with a 13-year-old boy. In the interview, Bunag described the victim as a former student and knew he was a minor at the time of the sexual encounters.

Court documents state that Bunag used camera equipment to record the sexual encounter. He also admitted to distributing the video to the Philadelphia teacher and others using Telegram. Bunag also admitted to distributing child pornography involving other minor victims.