A U.S. district judge sentenced a 46-year-old Kona man Thursday to 24 years in federal prison for the sexual exploitation of two minors: a 15-year-old girl and her 2-year-old daughter.
Federal Judge Leslie Kobayashi told Michael Phillip Patrakas, “Your offenses are the extreme victimization of the most vulnerable — that is children.”
He caused damage not only to the girls, but also to his 5- and 9-year-old sons by exposing and encouraging them to join in depraved behavior, she said, adding that he filmed genitalia and captured the depraved acts, which “fuels the industry.”
Despite a plea deal struck by Patrakas, Kobayashi exceeded by five years the 18-year sentence recommended by Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren Ching. She also sentenced him to 20 years’ supervised release.
Patrakas pleaded guilty March 6 to the two counts of sexual exploitation of minors and had three charges dropped, including sex trafficking of a minor, due to a plea deal.
A federal grand jury indicted him in February 2017 on three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of each of distributing child pornography and sex trafficking of a child.
The judge said the sentencing was based on the serious harm he caused to the community and to the victims, and provides just punishment and an adequate deterrence to others. Federal sentencing guidelines allow a sentence of up to 60 years.
In March 2015 the 15-year-old and her 2-year-old moved into a rented room her father paid for in Patrakas’ home, which he also shared with his sons, ages 5 and 9.
The teen told authorities that Patrakas took photos and video of them having sex, posted photos online so he could meet other people and placed ads on Craigslist for her to have sex for money.
She then used some of her share of the money to buy drugs from him.
Patrakas, wearing a tan prison jumpsuit, told the judge he had fallen back into intravenous drug use to numb the pain of a breakup with his wife, the mother of their two sons, who were ages 5 and 9 at the time.
He sobbed audibly when his ex-wife testified on speakerphone that their two sons were also victims and subjected to a harmful environment of sex, drugs and people of questionable character.
“I was forced to share custody with a monster,” she said. He wouldn’t even allow his sons to call her “mom” and instead Patrakas forced them to use the letters M-O-M, she said.
After dropping them off with him, she would cry and “say a prayer for their safety,” she testified. “I had no clue of the magnitude and situation.”
The boys would stare out the window, cry themselves to sleep, didn’t eat and were traumatized, she said.
The boys’ mother, identified as K.W., asked the judge for the maximum sentence.
Hawaii County police and prosecutors had arrested and charged Patrakas on promoting child abuse, kidnapping, drug possession and other charges.
While awaiting trial in September 2017, Patrakis sued his home surveillance company for granting his former roommate unauthorized access into his account. Federal investigators said the former roommate turned over to police incriminating video from Patrakis’ account.
Correction: An earlier version of this story said the boys were not allowed to call her mother. It should say the boys were not allowed to call her “mom,” and instead Patrakas forced them to use the letters M-O-M.
