10 years for man who pleaded guilty to possessing child porn

The U.S. District Court for the NMI has imposed a 120-month imprisonment term on Vincent Masga Songsong, a man who previously pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.

Yesterday, District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramon V. Manglona issued an amended judgement in the case of Songsong, a man who pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography back in April.

According to the amended judgment, Songsong is sentenced to 120 months (or 10 years) incarceration with the Federal Bureau of Prisons with credit for time served of 156 days.

Following his release from prison, Sonsong will be placed on supervised release for 60 months (or five years).

In addition, Manglona ordered that during incarceration, Songsong must pay the restitution by participating in the Bureau of Prisons Inmate Financial Responsibility Program at a minimum of $25 per quarter provided the defendant has the funds available in his account.

Upon release from incarceration, Songsong must pay the remaining balance of restitution at a rate not less than 10% of monthly gross earning commencing 30 days from release of imprisonment.

Manglona added that the defendant shall pay more whenever possible and that resources received from any source shall be applied to the restitution still owed pursuant to Title 18 section 3664(n).

After the hearing, the defendant was remanded back to the custody of the U.S. Marshals.

According to the United States government’s restitution memorandum, they have proposed that Songsong pay $60,000 in restitution.

“There are at least 123 known victims in this case. To date, the government has acquired 22 Victim Impact Statements and of those 22 victims, the government received nine specific restitution demands totaling an aggregate of $60,000,” said the memorandum.

“Defendant undisputedly possessed an image or video of child pornography material involving these nine victims, which furthered the trauma endured by those victims. Each VIS submitted articulates this dark and horrific reality,” the U.S. government added.

According to Songsong’s plea agreement, on or about June 22, 2023, in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands, defendant knowingly possessed matter containing a visual depiction that had been shipped and transported using any means and facility of interstate and foreign commerce, and defendant knew that the production of said visual depiction involved the use of a minor—specifically, a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age—engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and that said visual depiction was of this conduct.

“Specifically, on or about June 22, 2023, defendant possessed a Samsung Galaxy A13 cellular phone, serial number R58T5Z5K3H, on defendant’s person. Defendant acquired the device in February of 2023, and used the device to access pornographic websites on the World Wide Web via the internet. During the approximate four-month period of owning the device, defendant routinely accessed pornographic websites containing material with prepubescent minors who had not yet attained twelve years of age, engaging in sexually explicit conduct (child pornography). Defendant knowingly downloaded the child pornography onto his device for his personal use. By June 22, 2023, defendant’s device contained at least 1,500 images of child pornography, and 150 videos of child pornography, which defendant personally downloaded for his use. The images and videos containing child pornography downloaded by defendant through the World Wide Web and internet were stored on databases located outside of the CNMI. Each image downloaded by defendant required transporting the images through interstate commerce,” the plea agreement states.

Songsong has a previous possession of child pornography conviction in case CR 14-18.

On Dec. 3, 2015, Songsong was convicted of possession of child pornography and was sentenced by the federal court to serve 78 months or six years and six months.

He was also ordered to pay $5,000 restitution to one of the victims and to register as a sex offender.

In that case, Songsong pled guilty to possessing a laptop computer that contained 226 videos involving the use of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.