Hawai‘i Police Department Detective Jenny Lee named Hawai‘i State Law Enforcement Officials Association Officer of the Year
Hawai‘i Police Department Detective Jenny Lee recently received the prestigious honor of being named Hawai‘i State Law Enforcement Officials Association 2026 Officer of the Year award.
The award honors Lee’s outstanding investigative work on a complex child sexual abuse investigation that resulted in multiple arrests and grand jury indictments, as well as identification of additional victims and suspects.
She received the award Sept. 28 during a statewide ceremony on O‘ahu.
“Detective Lee’s work demonstrates the persistence, attention to detail and compassion required when investigating crimes against vulnerable children,” said Hawai‘i Island Police Chief Reed Mahuna.
Lee is a 22-year-veteran of the department and assigned to the Area I Juvenile Aid Section.
She was assigned in July 2025 to investigate allegations involving two juvenile girls who reported being sexually abused.
Lee immediately took responsibility for the investigation and conducted numerous interviews with victims and witnesses while obtaining and executing multiple search warrants for electronic devices and social media accounts.
A search warrant executed on one suspect’s cellular phone resulted in recovery of video evidence that corroborated statements from victims and provided additional evidence for presentation to a grand jury.
The investigation continued as Lee obtained and executed additional search warrants involving social media accounts and cellphones of the victims, leading to evidence identifying another adult suspect.
She subsequently obtained and executed a search warrant for that suspect’s cellphone, recovering additional evidence corroborating victims reports. During the forensic examination of the device, she identified a third juvenile victim.
The investigation involving that suspect was completed and submitted for prosecution. It’s now awaiting grand jury proceedings.
Lee furthermore identified a fourth suspect who resided on Oʻahu and traveled to Hawaiʻi Island to meet a juvenile victim. The investigation developed sufficient evidence for federal review and was accepted by Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Federal agents were pursuing enforcement action against the suspect as of May.
Two suspects were arrested and subsequently indicted by a grand jury on charges including first-degree promoting child abuse, first-degree sexual assault and third-degree sexual assault as a result of Lee’s investigation.
Her investigation also led to the identification of additional suspects and victims whose involvement might otherwise have remained undiscovered.
“Her ability to follow the evidence, uncover additional victims and suspects and work with our law enforcement partners reflects the professionalism and dedication we expect from our investigators,” Mahuna said about the detective. “We congratulate Detective Lee on this well-deserved recognition and thank her for her commitment to protecting our keiki and our community.”
