HILO, Hawaiʻi – Hawaiʻi Island police have arrested and charged 44-year-old Joseph Donald Tibbs, of Puna, with a significant array of sexual-related offenses against minors. Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen announced that Tibbs was arrested and charged in connection with incidents involving multiple sexual assaults of minors, the production and dissemination of child pornography, and incest, which occurred between February and May 2025.
Tibbs made his initial appearance in Hilo District Court on Monday morning, June 2, 2025. His bail was maintained at $4,815,000.00, and he was ordered to appear for a preliminary hearing on June 4, 2025. Prosecutors have filed a motion requesting that Tibbs be detained without bail. Additionally, prosecutors have filed a motion requesting that court documents be sealed to protect the privacy interests of the involved minors and to preserve the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
As alleged in the Complaint, Tibbs faces a total of fifteen charges: seven counts of Sexual Assault in the First Degree, two counts of Promoting Child Abuse in the First Degree, two counts of Promoting Child Abuse in the Second Degree, two counts of Use of a Computer in the Commission of a Separate Crime, and two counts of Incest. The most serious offenses, Sexual Assault in the First Degree, Promoting Child Abuse in the First Degree, and Use of a Computer in the Commission of a Separate Crime, are all class A felony offenses and carry a potential penalty of a twenty-year prison term.
The charges against Tibbs stem from an extensive investigation initiated in March 2025, when law enforcement received tips identifying Tibbs as being in possession of and electronically disseminating child pornography. The investigation involved the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force, the Hawaiʻi Police Department, the Hawaiʻi County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Maui Police Department in analyzing electronic devices.
Investigators determined that Tibbs had allegedly been engaging in sexual conduct with minors for over a period of one year. While some of the female victims in photos and videos have been identified, police believe there are additional victims yet to be located.
Tibbs was arrested on Thursday morning, May 29, shortly after leaving his Mountain View residence. Following his arrest, a search warrant was executed on his residence, where numerous electronic devices and other sexual-related evidence were recovered.
This investigation is ongoing, as forensic examinations of evidence continue and efforts are made to identify additional potential victims. Police urge anyone with information related to Tibbs and this investigation to contact Detective Chandler Nacino of the Vice Section in Kona at (808) 326-4646, extension 312, or via email at Chandler.Nacino@hawaiicounty.gov.
The public is encouraged to report any knowledge or suspicion of crimes against children to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) 24-hour hotline at 1-800-843-5678, Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300, or by calling 911.
The charges are merely allegations, and the Defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.