Big Island man gets jail term for child porn

By David Waite
Advertiser Courts Writer

A Big Island man has been sentenced to three years and six months in federal prison for having computer diskettes that contained child pornography.

Federal Judge David Ezra told Jed Abregana, 32, of Hilo, that he had a "terrible history of recidivism" and that the harm to children from child pornography was "profound."

Edward Kubo, U.S. attorney for Hawai'i, said the case against Abregana grew out of an undercover Internet operation on the Mainland.

Abregana's twin brother, Jay Abregana, responded to an ad by U.S. postal inspectors and investigators from the Pennsylvania attorney general's office that offered child pornography videotapes for sale, Kubo said.

Abregana sent diskettes containing child porn to Pennsylvania and expected to get child porn videotapes in return, Kubo said. His home was raided in August 2001 and investigators found child pornography that belonged to both brothers.

Jay Abregana pleaded guilty to child pornography charges and was sentenced by federal Judge Helen Gillmor to 44 months in prison.

He was on probation for a state conviction of sexually abusing a minor when he committed the federal child pornography offense, Kubo said. His probation was revoked in state court and he was sentenced to a 10-year state term with the possibility of parole.

Prosecution of the federal offense was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence Tong.