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Thomas T. Takeuchi
A 61-year-old Maui High School teacher will be tried in August in Washington state on a charge that he took nude photos of a 4-year-old girl there.
Thomas T. Takeuchi was arrested May 22 at the Portland Airport in Oregon and taken to Whitman County, Wash., where he was charged with sexual exploitation of a minor by the Pullman Police Department. He entered a plea of not guilty on June 7 and his jury trial will be held Aug. 20 in Whitman County Superior Court. He was released on his own recognizance.
The maximum penalty for sexual exploitation of a minor — a class B felony — is 10 years in jail and a $25,000 fine.
Takeuchi has been a social studies and science teacher at Maui High School since 1994.
The Department of Education said it is investigating the incident. Classes resume in late July.
The Whitman County prosecutor’s office said photos of the child were taken between July and October 2011 when the child was 4.
