Karate Instructor Sentenced To 10-Years For Child Enticement
Reported by: Jai Cunningham
Email: [email protected]
Last Update: 4/26 5:52 pm
A karate instructor was sentenced to 10 years in prison for trying to get a 14-year-old girl to have sex with him.
Matthew Lewis was found guilty by a jury of child enticement -- a felony that carries a mandatory 10 year prison term.
Lewis made contact with who he thought was an underage girl but it was really an undercover police officer.
Lewis then set up a meeting, but insisted he never intended to meet the girl face-to-face.
"Looked into the open window and it was clear that there was no 14-year-old girl there. So, he actually drove around twice and only after he saw there was no 14-year-old girl he left,” said deputy attorney general, Albert Cook.
Lewis' attorney argued his client never stopped for the meeting and therefore didn't violate the law.
The Hawaii Paroling Authority will be responsible for setting the mandatory minimum Lewis must serve before asking for parole.
http://www.khon2.com/news/local/stor...YXpRVjDSw.cspx
Reported by: Jai Cunningham
Email: [email protected]
Last Update: 4/26 5:52 pm
A karate instructor was sentenced to 10 years in prison for trying to get a 14-year-old girl to have sex with him.
Matthew Lewis was found guilty by a jury of child enticement -- a felony that carries a mandatory 10 year prison term.
Lewis made contact with who he thought was an underage girl but it was really an undercover police officer.
Lewis then set up a meeting, but insisted he never intended to meet the girl face-to-face.
"Looked into the open window and it was clear that there was no 14-year-old girl there. So, he actually drove around twice and only after he saw there was no 14-year-old girl he left,” said deputy attorney general, Albert Cook.
Lewis' attorney argued his client never stopped for the meeting and therefore didn't violate the law.
The Hawaii Paroling Authority will be responsible for setting the mandatory minimum Lewis must serve before asking for parole.
http://www.khon2.com/news/local/stor...YXpRVjDSw.cspx
http://www.k5thehometeam.com/story/12015620/electronic-enticement-suspect-takes-the-stand'
Electronic enticement suspect takes the stand
Posted: Feb 19, 2010 10:30 PM EST Updated: Feb 20, 2010 12:19 AM EST
Shimogawa - bio | email
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A Hawaii Air National Guardsman accused of chatting up what he thought was a teen for sex online took the stand at his trial in his own defense on Friday. Closing arguments were heard and it's now in the jury's hands.
34-year-old Matthew Lewis is charged with electronic enticement.
In October 2008, a detective says she posed as a 14-year-old girl online and met Lewis. They then engaged in sexually explicit conversations and planned to meet.
Lewis did not deny the chat but says he's not guilty because he didn't go through with the meeting.
Instead he says he circled in his car but didn't go into the restaurant. But prosecutors say he knew what he was doing and it was all planned out.
"I wish I never did any of those things, even chatting on the Internet like that or even exposing myself on the Internet like that, just offending people, I didn't know I was offending a lot of people, I didn't know it would come out into the open this way, I feel a lack and utter of total disgust," Lewis said.
Cases like this rarely go to a jury. Often the suspects strike a plea deal.
But after the legislature created stiffer penalties for the crime, more and more cases are going this far. If convicted, Lewis faces a mandatory 10-year prison term. Copyright 2010 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Electronic enticement suspect takes the stand
Posted: Feb 19, 2010 10:30 PM EST Updated: Feb 20, 2010 12:19 AM EST
Shimogawa - bio | email
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A Hawaii Air National Guardsman accused of chatting up what he thought was a teen for sex online took the stand at his trial in his own defense on Friday. Closing arguments were heard and it's now in the jury's hands.
34-year-old Matthew Lewis is charged with electronic enticement.
In October 2008, a detective says she posed as a 14-year-old girl online and met Lewis. They then engaged in sexually explicit conversations and planned to meet.
Lewis did not deny the chat but says he's not guilty because he didn't go through with the meeting.
Instead he says he circled in his car but didn't go into the restaurant. But prosecutors say he knew what he was doing and it was all planned out.
"I wish I never did any of those things, even chatting on the Internet like that or even exposing myself on the Internet like that, just offending people, I didn't know I was offending a lot of people, I didn't know it would come out into the open this way, I feel a lack and utter of total disgust," Lewis said.
Cases like this rarely go to a jury. Often the suspects strike a plea deal.
But after the legislature created stiffer penalties for the crime, more and more cases are going this far. If convicted, Lewis faces a mandatory 10-year prison term. Copyright 2010 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.