WAILUKU — A Kihei man who had already spent more than a year in jail was released Thursday and placed on four years’ probation for going online to solicit someone he thought was a teenage girl for sex.

Jason Guthrie, 38, had pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree electronic enticement of a child.

He was among 10 men arrested in March 2020 in Operation Keiki Shield, a law enforcement operation targeting online sexual predators.

Deputy Prosecutor Robert Rivera said Guthrie didn’t fall into the same category as some similar offenders who engaged in graphic communication with a law enforcement officer portraying an underage girl.

When the officer reported being 13 years old, Guthrie cut off communication, Rivera said. But two days later, Guthrie called her again, Rivera said.

“He has significant lack of control that prohibits him from making good judgments,” Rivera said. “That is concerning.”

Guthrie was following the instructions of the undercover officer when he went to Minit Stop to buy an alcoholic drink she requested along with condoms March 15, 2020, Rivera said.

Despite Guthrie’s history of mental health issues, Rivera said it was one of the few cases where psychiatrist Dr. Martin Blinder has found a defendant mentally fit and criminally responsible.

“The worst thing that could happen is for the defendant to be given probation and, with his history of not making good choices and good decisions, to engage in contact with – not an undercover officer – but an actual minor,” Rivera said.

Deputy Public Defender Zach Raidmae said probation might help Guthrie, who has two convictions for second-degree unauthorized entry into a dwelling in 2015 cases.

In one case, Guthrie was “completely out of it” and showering in someone’s house while the resident was home, Raidmae said.

“He was criminally insane,” Raidmae said.

“He does have a drinking problem,” Raidmae said. “He was off his medication and drinking. He needs to have structure that will hopefully help him.”

He said Guthrie will be required to register as a sex offender for life.

“These crimes, they are kind of a sickness,” Raidmae said. “These people need help. They need help on behalf of society. Without these people being treated, the potential theoretically is this could be a real person.”

Guthrie said he “made a mistake.”

“Well, it’s a pretty big mistake,” 2nd Circuit Judge Peter Cahill said. “It’s more than a mistake.”

He said the crime was one of intent.

“It’s understandable why the police are doing what they’re doing here,” Cahill said. “Maybe Mr. Guthrie would not have gone through with this, but the point is a lot of people would have.”

Cahill noted that a probation officer’s report recommended probation for Guthrie while taking into account his mental health diagnoses and alcohol issues.

So far, four defendants who have been sentenced in electronic enticement cases have been placed on probation with the required one-year jail term, Cahill noted.

But “every one of these cases has to be judged separately and differently,” he said.

As part of his probation, Guthrie was ordered not to posses alcohol or illegal drugs, continue with mental health treatment and participate in sex offender treatment.

He was ordered not to contact any minor children or live in the same residence with minor children unless he has permission from his probation officer.

In another sentencing Thursday, a 27-year-old Wailuku man was placed on four years’ probation for theft and driving stolen vehicles.

Chaz Kosi was given credit for nearly six months he spent in jail through Thursday.

He was ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to the owner of one vehicle.

No restitution was ordered for the theft of $62,000 from another man because a request for restitution wasn’t made, Judge Cahill said.

Kosi had pleaded no contest to first-degree theft and two counts of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle. The crimes occurred from April to October last year.

“Jail did save my life,” Kosi said in court.

He said he wanted to get out of jail and “do life the right way, not the wrong way.”

* Lila Fujimoto can be reached at lfujimoto@mauinews.com.