VINCENT Masga Songsong has pled not guilty to the charge of possession of child pornography.
Songsong, who was represented by attorney Joe McDoulett, appeared before Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the District Court for the NMI on Thursday.
The judge scheduled his jury trial for May 14, 2024 at 10 a.m.
She also held a revocation hearing for Songsong’s previous possession of child pornography conviction in case CR 14-18.
In that case, Songsong is represented by attorney Colin Thompson.
Without objections, Judge Manglona informed the parties that she will keep the two case matters separate.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Albert Flores Jr., who appeared for the federal government, made an oral motion to detain Songsong for the new case or CR 24-09 while McDoulett requested for more time for a detention hearing.
The court said Songsong will be detained in the new case, and set a detention hearing for March 18, 2024, at 9 a.m.
The defendant was then remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
According to court documents: “On or about June 22, 2023, in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands, defendant Vincent Masga Songsong knowingly possessed matter — namely a Samsung Galaxy A13 cellular phone, serial number R58T5Z5K3H — 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.”
A forfeiture complaint was also filed against Songsong in the new case.
On Dec. 3, 2015, Songsong, a resident of Rota, was convicted of possession of child pornography and was then 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.
Songsong pled guilty to possessing “a laptop computer that contained 226 videos involving the use of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.”
