Three men were arrested on Oahu after a state undercover sting targeting online child predators. Investigators say the men thought they were meeting minors, but the children were actually undercover officers. Two men are charged with first-degree electronic enticement of a child, and the third faces a charge of commercial sexual exploitation of a minor.
Who Was Arrested
Officials identified the three as Jackson Tili, 26; Alexander Delooze, 30; and Kevin Diaz, 42. Two are civilians, and one is an active-duty U.S. Navy service member, according to Hawaii News Now. Investigators say each man arrived thinking they was meeting a minor, but officers were waiting and arrested them right away.
Details Of The Sting
State officials said the arrests, which local outlets report occurred between Nov. 7 and Nov. 9, were part of Operation Keiki Shield 29. The coordinated sweep falls under the Department of the Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children task force, according to Maui Now. One suspect is accused of commercial sexual exploitation of a minor (HRS §712-1209.1), and two are accused of electronic enticement of a child in the first degree (HRS §707-756), authorities said.
“Our mission is simple: protect Hawai‘i’s keiki and hold accountable anyone who seeks to exploit them,” Edward Arias, supervisory special agent and Hawaiʻi ICAC commander, said in a statement cited by Maui Now. The operation was hosted by the Honolulu Police Department and brought in federal partners, including the FBI, NCIS, Army CID and the U.S. Secret Service, the outlet reported.
What Operation Keiki Shield Does
Operation Keiki Shield is a recurring, island-by-island undercover effort that relies on decoy online accounts and multiagency teams to identify adults who attempt to solicit minors, pursue criminal cases, and, when possible, locate potential victims. News coverage and prior state press releases indicate the task force has been active since 2019 and has led to dozens of arrests across Hawaiʻi, according to reporting on a Roblox-linked arrest and earlier government communications.
Legal Implications
Both charges carry heavy weight under Hawaiʻi law. Commercial sexual exploitation of a minor (HRS §712-1209.1) is a class B felony that includes a mandatory minimum fine, and electronic enticement of a child in the first degree (HRS §707-756) is also classified as a class B felony, according to Justia state statutes. The statute on commercial sexual exploitation and the related section on electronic enticement spell out the elements of the offenses and their felony status.
Officials stressed that all three men are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in court. Hawaii News Now reported that the cases have been forwarded to prosecutors, who will decide on formal charges, and investigators urged anyone with relevant information or tips to contact local law enforcement.
