Honolulu Man Sentenced To 80 Months For Transporting Child Pornography

HONOLULU – United States District Court Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi sentenced Beei-Huan Chao, age 62, to 80 months in prison today for transporting child pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(1). Chao, who was formerly employed as a professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, pled guilty to the offense on May 30, 2017.

Elliot Enoki, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, said that according to court documents and information presented in court, in February of 2016, Chao was using a file sharing program called Vuze to obtain child pornography over the internet and share it with others. On February 11, 2016, a FBI agent working in an undercover capacity connected with Chao’s computer and downloaded 14 videos from Chao, all of which depicted child pornography. Agents executed a search warrant at Chao’s residence in June of 2016 and found more than 500 images of child pornography on his electronic devices.

At today’s sentencing, Judge Kobayashi commented that Chao’s conduct helped fuel a business that exploits minors and subjects them to humiliation. Judge Kobayashi also noted that the amount and type of child pornography Chao transported was an aggravating factor. In addition to sentencing Chao to 80 months in prison, Judge Kobayashi also imposed a ten-year term of supervised release and ordered Chao to pay a $35,000 fine. Chao must also register as a sex offender in any jurisdiction where he resides.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Nammar.