A Honolulu man is in federal custody after he was arrested Thursday by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for allegedly trying to lure two kids into a sexual relationship.
Brent L. Gaston was charged Friday by federal criminal complaint with a single count of attempted online enticement of a minor after the divorced father of a 9- and 11-year-old shopping his kids for sex online turned out to be an undercover law enforcement officer working with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Gaston made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rom A. Trader on Monday and was ordered held without bail ahead of a hearing Thursday on the government’s motion to detain him until trial.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mohammad Khatib, who is prosecuting the case for the government, did not immediately reply to Honolulu Star-Advertiser requests for comment. Gaston’s attorney, Jacquelyn T. Esser, declined comment.
According to an affidavit from a special agent with the FBI, from May 14 through Thursday, Gaston, aka “Curious?,” aka “Aloha_Guy,” aka “@cahi_guy,” used a mobile phone and the internet, to “knowingly and willfully attempt to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a person” who
Gaston “believed had not reached the age of 18 years to engage in sexual activity.”
On May 14 a law enforcement officer using a “fictitious persona” started an online undercover operation designed to identify and target adult individuals who were seeking to make contact with and engage in illegal sexual activity with minor children.
The undercover officer posted a profile on a social media and dating application, referred to in federal court documents as “App l ,“ which allows users to interact with other users with text messages and photos and to post messages to other app users.
The undercover officer created a profile on “App 1” that contained display name “PervDadDicky” and in the “About Me” section, contained descriptions that included “Single perv dad x 2,” “Taboo,” “Discreet,” “Visiting May17-19 Honolulu.” The “My Tags” section listed interests that included “discreet,” “dtf,” and “twink.
That same day, the undercover operative received a message from user “Curious?.” The profile for “Curious?” contained a “My Tags” section with interests that included “twink,” “dom,” “kink,” and “daddy.”
The user, allegedly Gaston, stated, “Hi. What you looking for?”
The undercover replied, “I’m gonna be visiting this week In Honolulu and wanted to find some like minded pervs like me.”
Gaston replied, “I see. Let’s chat maybe there’s some mutual interest.”
The undercover agent allegedly told Gaston that he would bring his two minor children, a boy and a girl, ages 9 and 11. Gaston allegedly asked the undercover if he was sexually active with his own kids. The undercover replied “I’m active with them” and went on to assure Gaston that it had happened before.
Gaston allegedly said the youngest child he had been with was 16.
The conversation continued with Gaston allegedly asking questions about the 9- and 11 year-old’s sexual history and level of experience. He told the undercover officer that he wanted to take a bath with the children first and an agreement to use protection was made to prevent the girl from getting pregnant, according to the complaint.
On Wednesday, Gaston allegedly messaged the undercover officer, “My hesitancy is not about the playing part. It’s about getting arrested.”
After setting up a meeting in person for Thursday, Gaston was arrested by Honolulu police and FBI agents at 2:25 p.m. and taken to the FBI Honolulu Field Office in Kapolei where he declined to be
interviewed.
