Posted on: Wednesday, July 31, 2002

Teacher denies child-pornography charge

By David Waite
Advertiser Courts Writer

A Waiau Elementary School teacher pleaded not guilty in federal court yesterday to possession of child pornography and was released on $25,000 bail to await trial on Oct. 1.

Keith K. Akana, 45, was indicted by a federal grand jury July 17 after federal investigators reported finding child pornography images on his home computer.

The indictment accuses Akana of having computer files that contained pictures of minors engaged in sexual activity.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence Tong said the charges against Akana grew out of an investigation of a Milwaukee, Wis., man conducted by the U.S. Customs Service.

Tong said one of the "screen names" listed on the Milwaukee man's Internet "buddy list" led investigators to Akana.

Tong said investigators obtained search warrants in order to examine a computer at Akana's home and a second computer at Waiau Elementary School. Child pornography images were found on Akana's home computer but not on his computer at the school, Tong said.

Federal Magistrate Judge Kevin Chang granted a request by Tong that Akana be ordered not to use the Internet while his trial is pending. Chang also ordered Akana not to have unsupervised contact with anyone under 18 years of age.

Akana's lawyer, Sam King Jr., said the charge against Akana does not directly involve any of his students at Waiau Elementary or members of the hula halau Ka Pa Hula O Ka Lani, of which Akana is kumu hula.

Tong said that under federal law, it is illegal for anyone to possess even a single image of a person less than 18 engaged in a sex act. He did not say how many child pornography images Akana is accused of having stored in his computer.