Oahu Girls’ Wrestling Coach Charged with Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography
HONOLULU / Friday, September 25, 2026 – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Sean Sakaida, 44, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was charged by criminal complaint with receipt and possession of child pornography. He was arrested and taken into custody on September 24, 2026.
According to the complaint, Sakaida, a former coach of the girls’ wrestling team at Moanalua High School, frequently communicated with a minor victim using the messaging application WhatsApp between 2025 and 2026. In these communications, Sakaida received multiple sexually explicit photographs of the minor victim.
If convicted, Sakaida faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, plus a term of supervised release.
The charges in the criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi Turner is prosecuting the case.
The FBI’s Honolulu Field Office is seeking to identify potential victims of Sean Sakaida. If you and/or your minor dependent(s) were victimized by Sean Sakaida or have information relevant to this investigation, please fill out this short form:https://forms.fbi.gov/victims/SakaidaVictims/view
If you know of someone else who has possibly been victimized by Sean Sakaida, please encourage them to complete the form themselves.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Contact
Aislinn Affinito
Aislinn.Affinito@usdoj.gov
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Hawaii
