Woman acquitted of sex assault of a minor

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A judge last week acquitted a former Kona resident of felony sexual assault charges stemming from incidents that occurred against a minor more than a decade ago.

Brenda Olione, who now resides in Washington, was found not guilty Thursday of two counts first-degree sexual assault following a day-long bench trial Sept. 14 before Kona Circuit Court Judge Robert D.S. Kim.

The former Kona woman was indicted by a Big Island grand jury in February 2020 on two Class A felony counts of a minor less than 14 years old for allegedly “engaging in sexual penetration” with a minor born in 2001. The indictment alleged intercourse and oral sex occurred between approximately Aug. 1, 2008, to about Aug. 1, 2010.

According to Big Island police, Olione resided on Oahu at the time the investigation began and the Honolulu Police Department assisted in the investigation.

Had Olione been convicted of first-degree sexual assault, she could have faced up to 20 years imprisonment with the Hawaii Paroling Authority ultimately determining the minimum term that must be served before parole eligibility.