LIHUE — A Kapaa man who failed to register as a sex offender and pleaded down to one count from 30 was sentenced Wednesday to five years in jail. D O Lavern Vanaman appeared before Fifth Circuit Court Judge Kathleen
LIHUE — A Kapaa man who failed to register as a sex offender and pleaded down to one count from 30 was sentenced Wednesday to five years in jail.
D O Lavern Vanaman appeared before Fifth Circuit Court Judge Kathleen Watanabe to hear his sentence. His wife was in the gallery.
Vanaman’s defense attorney, Michael Green, spoke on his behalf and said that while Vanaman was on probation he was exemplary. He also said Vanaman couldn’t help where he came from.
“My client’s upbringing and history is just shocking,” Green said. “Sometimes we wind up being a product of what came before us.”
Vanaman had been charged with 30 counts of failure to comply with covered offender registration requirements. In November, Vanaman pleaded to a single charge after accepting a plea deal from the state. He was facing extended term sentencing, which could have put him at double digits in jail.
“I am aware of the statements made about some horrific things that happened in your past,” Watanabe said. “I just want to make sure, Mr. Vanaman, you stay focused on your priorities. Because if you lose focus on this, that’s the premise of everything. It all falls apart. And as Ms. Vogt correctly stated, you’ll be back before the court.”
Vanaman apologized and said he wanted to stay focused and no longer hurt anyone.
“I’ve learned that I’ve never been in love before. I allowed myself to fall in love with my wife,” he said. “I put a business together. I’m sorry that her family and her son feels the way they do toward me. I don’t blame them. I take responsibility for my actions. I lost focus. I don’t want to hurt another human being. I don’t want to hurt anyone else. And it hurts my wife.”
According to court records, Vanaman served a 10-year term for sex assault case with a minor. He was released in 2013. Deputy prosecutor Rebecca Vogt said Vanaman was on a work furlough from Kauai Community Correctional Center and was meant to be on regular contact with the Kauai Police Department.
While Vanaman was out on work furlough, he developed a relationship with a woman who had two children who were both minors.
During that time, Vanaman, a sex offender, was supposed to comply with registration requirements. He was dishonest in his registration stating that he was homeless when he was actually living in a HUD residence with two young children, Vogt said. He also failed to disclose a vehicle in his name.
When someone discovered that he was a sex offender, authorities were notified and an investigation took place, according to sources close to the investigation.
Vanaman, who has been in custody at KCCC since July 11, 2014 in lieu of $250,000 bail for more than 30 violations of mandatory registration requirements, will be given credit for time served on his open five-year term.
Prosecuting Attorney Justin Kollar said he’s happy with the sentencing.
“Convicted sex offenders are subject to certain rules; they must follow them or there will be consequences,” Kollar said. “This defendant will now spend a substantial portion of his remaining adult life in prison; a result he could have easily avoided by simply complying with the registration requirements.”
