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George Alexis Theros, who owns property on Maui, was arrested and charged Tuesday with engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place with a 14 year old girl in Panama, according to the U.S. attorney for Hawaii.
Theros, 76, made his initial appearance in federal court on Oahu on Wednesday, Kenji M. Price, U.S. attorney for Hawaii, announced Wednesday.
The criminal complaint charges Theros with sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl on a boat in Panama. It alleges that witnesses in Panama reported acts of sexual conduct by Theros with the girl, whom he had claimed was his daughter.
Witnesses in Thailand reported that years ago Theros paid the girl's family in Thailand to "adopt" her when she was 9 or 10 years old, the U.S. attorney for Hawaii said.
The witnesses also reported that the girl then proceeded to live with Theros in his home in Thailand. According to the criminal complaint, in the spring, Theros traveled with the girl from Thailand to Panama and planned to bring her to Hawaii on a boat. When witnesses on the boat realized Theros was sexually abusing the girl, they reported his conduct to law enforcement in Panama, and Theros abruptly fled to Thailand, leaving the girl behind in Panama.
Theros traveled back to Hawaii last week and was arrested Tuesday. If convicted of the charge. Theros faces up to 30 years in prison.
The Theros prosecution was jointly investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in Honolulu and Panama City, the U.S. State Department's Diplomatic Security Service Overseas Criminal Investigations Division with assistance from the DSS Honolulu Resident Office, and local law enforcement in Panama and Thailand.