LIHUE — Tarey Low, a former Kauai Police Department officer and state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement branch chief for Kauai, was found not guilty in Fifth Circuit Court Friday of all charges relating to allegations of prolonged sexual abuse of a minor in his care.
The jury deliberated for about a day and a half, communicating with Judge Kathleen Watanabe three times, asking to review the alleged victim’s testimony by tape, and stating they had a hung jury.
By mid-afternoon, a jury member recused herself from the proceedings, stating prior trauma, and an alternate juror was called in to continue deliberations.
The verdict was reached by 3:45 p.m. Friday.
The alleged victim was not present during the reading of the verdict.
Surrounded by family and supporters in the upstairs foyer of the Lihue courthouse, Low waited throughout the day for the jury to return the verdict in the ongoing case against him.
Low was dressed in jeans, a teal button-down shirt, a leather belt and cowboy boots.
Sitting on the bench behind him in courtroom six’s gallery, his wife and children wept tears of relief and of joy with each return of seven not guilty verdicts.
Joining his family in the gallery, Low hugged his wife, his children and kissed his grandchildren. Everyone was crying.
Low declined to comment, but in a written statement to The Garden Island, attorney Thomas Otake thanked the jury and Watanabe for the fair trial.
“Tarey Low dedicated his career to serving his island home, first at KPD and then at DLNR. These false accusations have harmed Tarey and his ohana more than words can express. Hopefully this verdict helps restore his reputation. Tarey is an innocent man,” Otake said.
In a statement to TGI, Prosecuting Attorney Justin Kollar said this was a difficult case.
“We are very grateful for KPD’s hard work on this case and all the service providers that have assisted the victim along the way,” he said, further stating he was proud of the work his office does.
Low was originally charged with 30 counts, including 28 counts of sexual assault in the first degree and two counts of sexual assault in the third degree.
Taking the stand Thursday to testify, Low denied each of the accusations against him, stating he found out about them when the alleged victim confronted him through a phone call. He was shocked, he said, to hear what the alleged victim was saying.
The alleged victim also testified during the trial, stating she was 14 years old when the abuse began in 2007. It started one weekend when her mother was attending a dog show on Oahu and her brother and sister were with their biological dad. The abuse, she said, continued well after she was 18 years old.
After retiring from DLNR, Low leased land in Kealia, where he operates a ranch. That’s how he met the alleged victim and her mother.
Low and the alleged victim’s mother each had three children from previous marriages. When their relationship became serious, they began living together, vowing to raise each other’s children as if they were their own.
Despite the allegations against Low, the alleged victim’s mother has remained married to him, while the alleged victim’s brother and sister maintain a close relationship with their stepfather.
Deputy County Prosecutor Jennifer Winn prosecuted the case.
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Bethany Freudenthal, courts, crime and county reporter, can be reached at 652-7891 or bfreudenthal@thegardenisland.com.
