Men ordered not to use apps to meet minors

Both have pleaded not guilty to electronic enticement

WAILUKU — Two men were ordered to not to use online apps to meet minors, as they were arraigned Monday on charges alleging they went online to solicit sex from an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl.

Finehafo’ou Hafoka, 26, of Kahului and Joshua Irvine, 35, of Wailuku pleaded not guilty to first-degree electronic enticement of a child. Hafoka also pleaded not guilty to two counts of indecent electronic display to a child.

Both defendants appeared by videoconference from the Maui Community Correctional Center for their 2nd Circuit Court hearings.

While Deputy Public Defender Jeffrey Wolfenbarger asked for Hafoka to be released on supervision, Deputy Prosecutor Karen Droscoski asked for his bail to remain at $150,000. She said that Hafoka went online to solicit sex from the undercover officer claiming to be a 13-yearold girl, then exchanged text messages to arrange a meeting with the officer. Hafoka was arrested March 12 when he showed up at the meeting place, Droscoski said.

Judge Peter Cahill kept Hafoka’s bail at $150,000, citing the prosecution’s position and the alleged facts.

Cahill reduced bail from $300,000 to $150,000 for Irvine.

His bail had been set higher after he was arrested March 14, three days after he was placed on four years’ probation for first-degree terroristic threatening.

“The state has more significant concerns,” said Deputy Prosecutor Elizabeth Nardi, who had asked for the higher bail amount to remain. “This is someone already on felony probation.”

If convicted of the electronic enticement charge, Irvine could face mandatory minimum sentencing as a repeat offender with prior convictions for third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug and first-degree terroristic threatening, according to the complaint against him.

Hafoka and Irvine were among seven men arrested March 12 to 14 in “Operation Keiki Shield 7” that targeted online sexual predators, police said.

May 3 pretrial conferences were set for both men.