A prominent local shark expert is facing child pornography charges after being ensnared in an international sting that has resulted in nearly 350 arrests.
In a criminal complaint filed Friday in U.S. District Court, federal prosecutors say Randy Honebrink on or about June 4 was found to have two images of “minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct” on his computer and external hard drive.
The complaint was filed by U.S. Attorney Florence Nakakuni and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Brady and Darren Ching.
Hawaii News Now reported that Honebrink was caught in the investigation into a Canadian man who ran a child porn website.
Honebrink, 58, an educational coordinator for the Department of Land and Natural Resources, declined to comment to the station about the charges. DLNR says he remains on the job while facing the charges.
Honebrink is often called by the media when a shark attack occurs.
The case against him is part of an international child porn sting that has netted nearly 348 arrests worldwide, 76 of them in the United States.
“The arrests included 40 schoolteachers, nine doctors and nurses, 32 people who volunteered with children, six law enforcement personnel, nine pastors or priests and three foster parents,” Joanna Beaven-Desjardins of the Toronto Police Sex Crimes Unit said at a news conference in November.
The international investigation — dubbed Operation Spade — focused on a Canadian man, Brian Way, who ran a clearinghouse of child pornography through a website assigned to AZOF Films.
“It was well known to sexual predators, especially sexual predators that like young boys,” Beaven-Desjardins said.
Investigators said the videos were extremely graphic, with some victims as young as 5.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
