A First Circuit Court jury has convicted Jefferson Manuales Ibalio, 35, of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. The conviction stems from Operation Keiki Shield, led by the Hawaiʻi Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Ibalio was apprehended on January 20, 2023, for soliciting sex from an undercover officer posing online as a 16-year-old girl. According to the Felony Information, Ibalio offered $200 in exchange for sex.
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of a Minor is classified as a class B felony and carries a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years. Additionally, Ibalio will be required to register as a sex offender.
"Those who prey on children are among the greatest public-safety threats we face in Hawaiʻi," said Attorney General Anne Lopez. "The ICAC Task Force and my Department’s Special Investigation and Prosecution Division have ensured that Mr. Ibalio will be held responsible for his conduct."
"We will continue to protect our keiki against the predatory actions of child predators. No endeavor could be greater or more important," stated ICAC Supervisory Special Agent Edward Arias of the Department of the Attorney General.
First Circuit Court Judge Shanlyn Park has scheduled Ibalio’s sentencing for August 27, 2024. The case is State v. Ibalio, 1CPC-23-0000089. Deputy Attorney General Cheuk Fu Lui from the Special Investigation and Prosecution Division served as the lead prosecutor on this case. The jury reached its guilty verdict after approximately one-and-a-half hours of deliberation.