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Man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of minor girl
A 42-year-old man accused of sexually abusing a minor girl in 2013 and 2014 entered a guilty yesterday before Superior Court Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo.
Jose Mendiola Cepeda pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree.
Govendo accepted Cepeda’s guilty plea and the plea agreement.
Govendo dismissed the remaining charge of sexual abuse of a minor in the third degree upon the government’s recommendation as part of the plea deal.
The judge set the sentencing for Sept. 27, 2016 at 1:30pm. He ordered the Office of Adult Probation to submit a pre-sentencing report.
Under the plea deal, Cepeda will be sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, all suspended except for an open sentence of five years to eight years, to be determined at the sentencing hearing after a pre-sentence investigation has been conducted.
The five to eight years imprisonment will be served day for day, without the possibility of parole, early release, or work release. Cepeda will be given credit for time served.
Cepeda will be placed on supervised probation for 10 years upon his release from the Department of Corrections.
The defendant was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine, $1,000 probation fee, plus court costs.
Cepeda was required to perform 200 hours of community work service and pay restitution to the victim in amount to be determined by the Office of Adult Probation for previous and any future additional medical or psychological treatment necessary as a result of his crime.
Cepeda was required to submit to examinations focusing on sex offender counseling.
According to the factual basis of the plea agreement, in November 2013 on Saipan, Cepeda performed oral sex on a then-14-year-old girl.
Assistant attorney general Shannon Foley appeared for the government. Attorney Michael Dotts is counsel for Cepeda.
