Police say suspect, teen girl met online
By David Waite
Advertiser Courts Writer
Police believe a Honolulu firefighter charged with sexually assaulting two Kailua girls contacted at least one of them initially through an Internet "chat room."
Kevin W. Uhrle, 31, was arrested Thursday and charged Friday with third-degree sexual assault of the girls, ages 13 and 14. Uhrle, who was released after posting $20,000 bail, is scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing tomorrow in Honolulu District Court. He could not be reached yesterday to comment
According to an affidavit filed in court by Philip Lavarias of the Honolulu Police Department's detail on child sex crimes, one of the girls began communicating "with a male known to her as Kevin" on the Internet and telephone.
On the night of the alleged incident, one of the girls invited the other to sleep over at her home on Kihapai Street in Kailua and the two girls called Kevin and asked him to come over, according to the affidavit.
He arrived at about 12:30 a.m. on June 15 and met one of the girls, 13, in her back yard, where he touched the girl against her wishes, according to the affidavit. The 14-year-old girl reported a similar incident and after reporting the incident to police, the two girls independently identified Uhrle in a "photographic lineup," the affidavit said.
Police continue to caution parents about the dangers of children striking up relations with strangers via the Internet.
In September, a Kalihi man was arrested on federal charges for using the Internet to lure a 14-year-old Oregon girl to Hawai'i in hopes of having sex with her. Lando Millare, 31, who posed as a 17-year-old boy, was sentenced in March to three years in prison in that case.
Chris Duque, the Honolulu Police Department's cyber crimes specialist, has warned parents that allowing children to use home computers without adequate supervision is like telling them, "Take the car wherever you want and come home whenever you want."
Duque advises parents to get involved in their children's computer use and to ask lots of questions
"I tell them that if their child goes online a lot, ask the same kinds of questions you would if they were going to go to the park: What park are you going to, what are you going to do there, who are you going to meet?," Duque has said.
If your child is evasive with answers, stop the computer service, Duque said.
Reach David Waite at dwaite@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8030.
