Hawaiian psychologist sentenced to 20 years in prison for assaulting teenage patient

A Kona Circuit Court judge sentenced a 72-year-old clinical psychologist from Kailua-Kona to 20 years in prison for sexually abusing a boy between the ages of 14 and 15 in 2019.

Reuben Lelah, who was originally charged with two counts of first-degree and third-degree sexual assault on June 27, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree sexual assault on March 15.

Judge Kimberly Tsuchiya sentenced him on Friday to 10 years in prison for each of the crimes, to run consecutively, with credit for the few days Lelah had already served. Lelah was arrested in June and released on July 5 on $40,000 bail.

Lelah admitted to sexually abusing a person with the initials AS, born in 2005 and now aged 18 or 19, on two occasions between June 1, 2019, and December 31, 2019.

If Lelah had been convicted of two counts of first-degree sexual assault, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, he could have received a 40-year prison sentence.

The victim’s family filed a civil lawsuit against the Loving Service Foundation, a Hawaiian nonprofit, and Lelah in Third Circuit Court on June 27.

According to the complaint, Lelah is a licensed clinical psychologist who provides certain counseling and psychological services through the Loving Service Foundation.

The foundation’s principal place of business is Lelah’s residence in Kailua-Kona; he is its president and treasurer, the complaint states.

The victim received psychological treatment and counseling from Lelah through the foundation, the complaint states.