Mikael Salvador Rivera, a former correctional officer at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu, has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for sexually abusing inmates. The sentence was handed down by Senior U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright, who also imposed three years of supervised release following the prison term.
Rivera, 48, from Kapolei, Hawaii, worked at the detention center from 2014 to 2018. In March 2025, he pleaded guilty to charges of sexual abuse of wards. He admitted to ordering an inmate to engage in non-consensual sexual acts and committing similar offenses with two other inmates under his supervision. Court documents revealed that Rivera left cell doors unlocked to facilitate his actions and initially fled before trial, prompting a manhunt across Oahu.
Judge Seabright noted an upward variance from the advisory Sentencing Guidelines due to Rivera's gross abuse of authority. "There is nothing in mitigation," said Judge Seabright. "You were supposed to help... Instead, you preyed on them."
Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson emphasized the importance of integrity among correctional officers and stated that misconduct would be prosecuted and punished severely. "Today's lengthy sentence serves as a warning," Sorenson remarked.
Anne Walsh from the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) Western Region highlighted the breach of public trust involved in such cases. FBI Honolulu Special Agent David Porter added that Rivera's actions undermined efforts by other correctional officers and affirmed that accountability would be enforced regardless of position.
The investigation was led by DOJ-OIG with assistance from the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Ayabe and Trial Attorney Nicole Lockhart with support from former PIN Deputy Chiefs Jennifer Clarke and Marco Palmieri.
