LIHUE — Youth and lack of a criminal record were factors in keeping a 19-year-old Koloa man from serving a full prison term for making a bomb threat and attempting to sexually assault a minor.
Travis Kainalu Ramos Rayno was sentenced to 15 months jail and five years probation with the HOPE (Hawaii’s Opportunity Probation with Enforcement) for close supervision of high-risk offenders.
“This defendant has a very short window of time to adjust his behavior,” said Count Prosecuting Attorney Justin Kollar. “If he is unable to do so, he will be looking at considerable time behind bars. We hope he makes the smart choice.”
Defense attorney Craig De Costa said Rayno has matured over the past eight months in jail. He has taken it upon himself to seek therapy and is very open about his issues.
County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Lisa Arin said the state would agree that probation is appropriate but encouraged the maximum jail allowed by the agreement to address a “pattern of behavior” with the defendant.
On March 9, 2011, Rayno arranged to have a note left at Kauai High School about a possible bomb, which led to closing the school until the note could be determined a hoax. He was arrested that day but released pending investigation until arrested on a grand jury indictment in July 2013.
“The defendant was mad at the world because he was upset about a girl,” Arin said.
Chief Judge Randal Valenciano said the environment at schools has changed and that people writing these sorts of threatening letters are no longer considered pranks. Whether it was anger or wanting to avoid a test, the school took the appropriate action and the defendant disrupted classes and activities, he added.
In the second case, Rayno had established a relationship with a girl on social media and agreed to meet with her even after learning she was 13 years old. Against the victim’s wishes, Rayno drove her to an isolated area near Salt Pond Beach Park.
The arrest for the attempted sexual assault came on Sept. 5, 2012. Rayno posted bail and was arrested again when booked on a grand jury indictment the following month.
The only thing that saved the victim from further trauma was her ability to resist and prevent a full sexual assault situation, Arin said. Rayno drove her back to where her friends were, dropped her off and left.
Postings on social media give an indication about the defendant’s attitude toward women who do not display an attitude he likes, Arin said.
Valenciano alluded to social media being a factor in many cases today. Communication through texting and posting allows interpersonal relationships to develop from a safe distance and can contribute to problems when meeting in person.
“The age of social media makes this a tricky situation,” Valenciano said.
Technology creates a bad situation when communication occurs without seeing each other and then agreeing to meet, he said. Still, the judge pointed out Rayno was 19 and knew the girl was 13.
Separating her from friends and bringing her to an isolated location shows intent, he said. The only good part of this is that she was able to resist.
Rayno was sentenced to 15 month jail and HOPE probation for an amended count of attempted second-degree sexual assault in the first case.
He was sentenced to nine months jail and five years HOPE probation in the second.
