Hawaii Police Department’s Detective Chandler Nacino received the 2024 TOP COP Hawaii award from the Law Enforcement and Security Coalition of Hawaii during a ceremony in Honolulu on Friday, Oct. 18.
Nacino was honored for his proactive efforts solving a months-long complex investigation involving social media, child exploitation and child pornography.
In April 2023, the HPD received a report about a juvenile who was “grooming” and encouraging other juveniles to harm themselves through the use of social media. Newly promoted to detective in the Area II Juvenile Aid Section, Nacino immediately jumped into action.
A member of the department’s Special Response Team, Nacino also is a Task Force Officer with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI-TFO). Using all of his available resources as a detective and HSI-TFO, he collaborated with federal agencies and became actively involved in the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program.
Over the course of nine months, Nacino wrote and served numerous search warrants, as well as reviewed and investigated a plethora of cyber tips in his efforts to collect evidence. As a result of his investigation, police arrested a 17-year-old suspect on Dec. 15, 2023, and recovered more than 100 images of child sexual abuse material.
The suspect remained in custody until his 18th birthday and was allowed to post bail. As part of the terms of his release, the suspect was not allowed to possess a smartphone.
Nacino received information that the now 18-year-old suspect had violated the terms of his release and had a smartphone. Corroborating this information, Nacino was able to generate a warrant of arrest and the suspect was arrested on Aug. 12.
The suspect was charged with 10 offenses, including promoting child abuse, disseminating child pornography, and use of a computer in the commission of a crime. His bail was set at $130,000.
“Detective Nacino puts 110 percent effort into each investigation regardless of the classification,” said Lt. Bobbi-Jo Sagon of the Area II Juvenile Aid Section, who nominated Nacino for the award. “His positivity, enthusiasm, passion, and drive are infectious. Detective Nacino truly cares about each unidentified victim and understands the totality of the trauma that is caused by these types of predators.”
Since 1984, the Law Enforcement and Security Coalition of Hawaii has honored individuals from local, state, federal, and military law enforcement and security professionals who have exhibited outstanding professionalism, dedication, heroism and community service during the preceding year.