East Hawai‘i man indicted on sex assault charges involving a minor

A man from Papa‘ikou is facing sexual assault charges for alleged incidents that occurred between 2012 and 2016 involving a minor.

On Aug. 28, Jeremy Kaaukai, 38, was indicted with four counts of first-degree sexual assault, five counts of third-degree sexual assault and a single count of continuous sexual assault of a minor under the age of 14. Kaaukai was arrested on Saturday after a judge issued a $250,000 bench warrant.

The 38-year-old is scheduled to make an initial appearance today in Hilo Circuit Court.

First-degree sexual assault and continuous sexual assault of a minor under the age of 14 are both class A felony offenses and carry a maximum penalty of a 20-year prison term.