Man admits to having child pornography
A 48-year-old Hawaii island man is facing up to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court Thursday to possessing child pornography.
Dennis S. Baring of Pahoa pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography involving children under the age of 12.
"I downloaded child porn," Baring told U.S. District Magistrate Judge Kevin Chang.
Baring faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count. He will have to register as a sex offender.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence Tong told the judge that in May 2012 an undercoverFBI agent in Oklahoma searching file server networks online was able to download child pornography from a computer registered to an address in Hawaii. The address was traced to Baring’s home in Pahoa.
In February 2013 agents searched Baring’s home and found hard copies of child pornography and digital files on electronic storage devices, Tong said.
Baring was returned to the Federal Detention Center to await sentencing on Feb. 5.
Agency searches for redeveloper
Palama Settlement announced Wednesday a request for proposals for the redevelopment of its Kalihi-Palama campus.
The 118-year-old nonprofit social service agency plans to redevelop its 7-acre property to continue to provide programs to youth, seniors and families in recreation, athletics, education and community services.
"Palama Settlement is looking to maximize its land assets so that we can better serve the community,"said Executive Director Wendy Abe. "The board of trustees, staff and volunteers have been working diligently to ensure that the future of Palama Settlement continues to be a vibrant community resource, and the redevelopment project is a big part of that vision."
The agency wants to lease a portion of its property to help generate revenue to support its programs. A public notice on the RFP was included among the classified ads in Wednesday’s edition of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
For more information, call Abe at 848-2518.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Burglar gets prison sentence
LIHUE >> A 22-year-old man was sentenced to 10 years in prison Tuesday after violating terms of his probation for a 2012 burglary of a Kauai vacation rental.
Noel Kinney pleaded no contest to breaking into the Hanalei vacation rental, saying he needed money to buy food. He was sentenced in 2013 to four months in jail and was given a deferral. He violated deferral terms and was given the option to participate in drug treatment on Maui.
After his treatment, he didn’t return to Kauai, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was arrested Sunday on Maui.
Kauai Prosecuting Attorney Justin Kollar says Kinney was given many chances.
Defense attorney Warren Perry says Kinney has a ninth-grade education and lacks the life skills to cope with his problems.
Judge will hear native land suit
A Honolulu judge will take up a suit that claims the state failed to protect former kingdom lands that are important to Native Hawaiians.
Circuit Judge Gary Chang will hear arguments in the case at 3 p.m. Thursday.
The suit filed by the Native Hawaiian Legal Corp. says the state didn’t make the U.S. military abide by its lease for the land on Hawaii island.
The lands at Pohakuloa are now being used for live-fire exercises by the U.S. military.
The lease conditions require that the military take steps to remove or deactivate ammunition and trash. But the lawsuit says those steps were not taken.
Associated Press
