A 42-year-old University of Hawaii at Hilo student caught in a prostitution sting by police had 48 images of child pornography on his cellphone, according to court documents filed by police.
Benjamin Jamie Krome of Mountain View admitted to police he downloaded images of nude minors engaged in sexual conduct from various internet websites, documents state.
According to documents, those images show nude children that appear to be between the ages of 4 and 10 performing sexual acts.
Documents also state he showed images of child pornography to a complaining witness identified as Cynthia Ramos.
Krome was arrested at 8:17 p.m. Friday at a Kalapana home, documents state. He was charged Sunday with three counts of second-degree promotion of child abuse and promotion of prostitution.
Police say no children were physically present, and the promotion of child abuse charges involve only the digital images.
The promotion of prostitution charge “involved an adult prostitute,” according to a written Police Department statement.
According to a court document, Krome agreed to pay $80 for sex with “a cooperating informant.”
While that informant wasn’t named in the document, 31-year-old Cynthia Elizabeth Ramos of Las Vegas was arrested April 26 in Kona and charged with prostitution. She was released after posting $250 bail and given a May 25 court date.
Krome made his initial appearance Monday in Hilo District Court. His attorney, Stanton Oshiro, asked Judge Michael Udovic to reduce his client’s bail from $21,250, noting Krome is a UH-Hilo student and that final exams are this week and next.
Udovic reduced Krome’s bail to $16,000 despite the objection of Deputy Prosecutor Glenn Shiigi and ordered Krome to return today at 2 p.m. for a preliminary hearing.
Second-degree promotion of child abuse is a Class B felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison upon conviction, while promoting prostitution is a petty misdemeanor.
A search of court records turned up no prior criminal record for Krome in Hawaii.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
