Child pornographer sentenced to 60 months in prison

Randy Yabut Palaganas, who pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced by U.S. District Court of Guam Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood to 60 months in prison and five years of supervised release.

According to Alicia A.G. Limtiaco, U.S. Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, Palaganas was sentenced on Nov. 26, 2014, following his guilty plea on Nov. 13, 2013.

Palaganas admitted to utilizing a peer-to-peer network to receive about 73 movies that depicted the sexual abuse of young children.

In addition to the sentence of 60 months of incarceration and five years of supervised release, Palaganas was ordered to register with the Sex Offender Registry in any jurisdiction in which he lives, works, or attends school. He was also ordered to forfeit his computer.

Limtiaco said: “Child pornography offenses involve the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These offenses are extremely serious because they result in perpetual harm to the child victims, and normalize the sexual exploitation of children. When the Internet is utilized to obtain these images of child sexual abuse, the images can travel to offenders domestically and internationally anywhere in the world, to include into the Pacific region. The harm to victims is lifelong. The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting defendants who victimize and prey on children through any means, including by computer.”

Limtiaco also reminds defendants who have committed sexual abuse of children that, under federal and local law, all sex offenders have a duty to register and keep their registration current with the Sex Offender Registry in their jurisdiction. Sex offenders who travel to Guam and who reside in Guam must inform the Guam Sex Offender Registry where they reside, work, or attend school. They must also periodically update their registration information. The U.S. Attorney notes that the Sex Offender Registry was created in order to protect the public by protecting victims, preventing further victimization and informing the public of the whereabouts of sex offenders. Guam’s Sex Offender Registry can be found online at www.guamcourts.org.

Limtiaco noted that this prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, a nationwide commitment to aggressively prosecute defendants who engage in the sexual victimization of children and adults, possess or receive child pornography, and sex offenders who fail to register with the jurisdiction’s Sex Offender Registry.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney R. San Nicolas. (USAO)