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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 9:41 p.m., Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Suspected Internet child sex predator arrested in Chinatown

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

Police today arrested a 33-year-old Waipahu man for investigation of first-degree electronic enticement of a child while a Nanakuli man, 32, indicted yesterday for a similar offense turned himself in for booking at the Halawa Correctional Facility.

Today's arrest occurred at 4:45 p.m. at the Chinatown Cultural Plaza Shopping Center at 100 North Beretania St. as the suspect was teaching a martial arts class. Police also seized evidence with a warrant search of the man's Lahaole Place residence at Village Park.

The suspect allegedly arranged a meeting for sex on the Internet last week with a Hawai'i Internet Crimes Against Children task force agent posing as a 14-year-old girl. He allegedly showed up at a meeting place in Makiki but fled before agents could arrest him.

Charges are pending.

The suspect in the other case is Francisco A. Amsic, 32, of an Auyong Homestead Road address.

Amsic was arrested Oct. 15 at 6:05 p.m. at Ala Moana Center when he arrived to pick up what he thought would be a 14-year-old girl. Amsic was charged last week and posted $35,000 bail. He was free on bail when indicted yesterday, which required him to be booked again. Amsic was released today after re-posting bail.

If convicted, both men could be sentenced up to 10 years in prison. The state Department of the Attorney General is expected to prosecute both cases.

The task force has made about 30 arrests of online sexual predators since 2002.

Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.