Puna man found guilty as charged for electronic enticement of a child

A Puna man was found guilty as charged with first-degree Electronic Enticement of a Child as a part of Operation Keiki Shield, which took place in May 2021.

Following the reading of the Hilo jury’s verdict on Tuesday, Hawai‘i County prosecutors requested 32-year-old Sonny E. Puerto, aka “JUNYA,” who’s been out on $30,000 bail, be taken back into custody and held without bail.

Hilo Circuit Court Judge Peter Kubota denied the request and instead increased bail to $500,000, ordering that Puerto be taken into custody and return for sentencing on Oct. 14.

“Our Office is committed to seeking justice for victims and protecting our community from those who prey upon our keiki,” said Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen. “This verdict was the result of the hard work, dedication, and collaboration of HPD, fellow state and federal law enforcement partners, and our prosecutors…”

During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Puerto exchanged text messages with an undercover police officer, whom Puerto believed to be a 13-year-old girl, where he requested sexual intercourse, fellatio, and cunnilingus.

First-degree Electronic Enticement of a Child is a class B felony, which carries a penalty of a 10-year prison term without the possibility of probation and mandates registration as a sex offender.

Operation Keiki Shield is a state-federal-local collaborative initiative focused on identifying and arresting offenders who commit internet-facilitated sex crimes against minors and rescuing victims of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Operation Keiki Shield included members of numerous law enforcement agencies, including the Hawai‘i Police Department, Hawai‘i County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Department of the Attorney General, Internet Crimes Against Children’s Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Honolulu Police Department, Maui Police Department, and Kaua‘i Police Department.