LIHUE — A Hanamaulu man was sentenced to the maximum jail allowed on Wednesday in 5th Circuit Court for probation for a sex assault against a minor. Steven Lee Corbin, 39, will serve one-year in jail followed by a five-year
LIHUE — A Hanamaulu man was sentenced to the maximum jail allowed on Wednesday in 5th Circuit Court for probation for a sex assault against a minor.
Steven Lee Corbin, 39, will serve one-year in jail followed by a five-year term with Hawaii’s Opportunity Probation with Enforcement. The “HOPE probation” program is more strict for high-risk offenders with stiff sanctions.
In his statement to the court, Corbin said he was sorry, especially to the victim. “I know that I did something wrong,” Corbin said.
Corbin was arrested on a charge of third-degree sexual assault against a minor on Nov. 8, 2012. A grand jury indicted Corbin on three counts the following January.
County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Lisa Arin said this was initial sexual contact that may have led to a more serious offense had the victim not been called away from the defendant.
The state agreed to the plea agreement because the defendant has no prior felonies or history of violent behavior. Arin asked the court for the maximum one-year sentence with probation along with a psychosexual evaluation and treatment.
Corbin’s court-appointed attorney, Mark Zenger, said that jail would be the easy way out in this situation. He asked the court to sentence the defendant to time already served, with probation, treatment and therapy.
Judge Kathleen Watanabe said that her decision was not to decide whether no jail or one-year was appropriate. She said the court was considering setting aside the plea deal and sentencing the defendant to a full five-year prison term.
Instead, Watanabe honored the plea agreement but said the maximum jail term will not allow Corbin to have any cushion for sanctions while on HOPE probation. If the defendant fails to comply, then the probation is a risk for revocation and the full prison term from the first violation.
