A former girls basketball coach at Punahou School was arrested Thursday at his Manoa home on federal charges related to child pornography, the FBI said.
Dwayne Yuen, 49, who previously settled civil lawsuits accusing him of sexually assaulting teen players, has been charged with possession of sexually explicit photos of underage individuals, according to the agency. The FBI also asked potential victims to come forward.
Yuen will make his first court appearance Friday in U.S. District Court.
“It is believed Yuen contacted his victims in person and via electronic communications, engaging in the illegal activity for years, as far back as 2004,” the FBI said. “Although Yuen resided on Oahu, he may have traveled to other islands and locations while coaching basketball throughout the years.”
The charges carry a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison, according to a press release.
In 2008, Yuen was accused of sexual abuse by a string of Punahou graduates who had played basketball as teens. They also sued the K-12 Honolulu private school for not preventing it.
Punahou announced in 2021 that it had settled “all the cases” involving the claims of sexual abuse, which allegedly occurred in the early-to-mid 2000s. The plaintiffs in that case were: Shawna-Lei Kuehu, Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, Mahina Macfarlane and two unnamed plaintiffs.
Yuen also taught and coached at the Hawaii Department of Education, including at Moanalua High and Momilani Elementary and Kamehameha Schools.
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