The FBI says the children in photographs that had been circulating on child pornography Internet sites identified themselves in the photos and the Hawaii island man with whom they were having sex.
John Tucker, 56, of Pahoa appeared in U.S. District Court on Thursday afternoon on a charge of producing and another of possessing child pornography. According to the criminal complaint, the possession count stems from images found on a computer at Tucker’s bed-and-breakfast inn showing minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The FBI searched Tucker’s inn and found probable cause to arrest him. Agents contacted him and met him at the Hilo police station, where he surrendered Wednesday night, said FBI Special Agent Tom Simon. Tucker has agreed to remain in custody without bail pending resolution of the case.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Kurren scheduled a preliminary hearing for Oct. 25.
Tucker was represented by attorney Brian De Lima in court Thursday. He said he had been retained Wednesday.
The FBI on Tuesday released a picture of a man the agency said appeared in child pornography photographs that were received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The FBI said the photos were the same as ones recovered in an unrelated child pornography case in Phoenix.
The FBI asked the public for help in identifying the man in the photos with two children. The FBI said it thought the man had some connection to Hawaii island because a Hawaiian Telcom phone book could be seen in the background of the photos.
The FBI said within hours several callers identified the man as Tucker.
On Wednesday, state authorities interviewed two children who identified themselves as being in the photos and reported that the man in the photos was Tucker, the FBI said.
Child Welfare Services is providing the children with help, Simon said.
Tucker, 56, and his wife, Petra Wiesenbauer, lived at and operated Hale Makamae Bed and Breakfast at 13-3315 Makamae St. in Leilani Estates in Puna. Tucker works as a salesman for Willocks Construction Corp., whose owner did not return calls to the Star-Advertiser.
They were "very involved community members," serving on the community board and the neighborhood watch, said Ryan Tanner, 43, who has lived in the area for 20 years.
"I’m just trying to process this whole thing," he said. "It’s kind of a shock because he lives right across the street."
He said the neighborhood is family-oriented, and Tucker and his family attended neighborhood barbecues and children’s birthday parties.
