Teenager in rape case gets 10 years in prison

Superior Court Associate Judge Teresa K. Kim-Tenorio slapped a 10-year prison sentence against George Norris Langu Jr., a 19-year-old who broke into a house and raped his 16-year-old neighbor on Saipan.

“A strong message must be sent to defendant and the community that sexual assault, in any capacity, will not be tolerated,” Kim-Tenorio said.

Langu was given credit of 201 days for time served.

Upon completing the prison term, the defendant will be placed on supervised probation for five years.

Langu was ordered to pay restitution to the victim in an amount to be determined later, plus $100 in court costs, and $100 per year in probation fee.

Kim-Tenorio ordered Langu to submit to examinations focusing on sex offender counseling and abide by the treatment decisions made by the Community Guidance Center.

The judge required Langu to complete a drug and alcohol counseling and any other recommended counseling by the treatment provider or the Office of Adult Probation.

The Office of the Attorney General charged Langu with burglary, sexual assault in the first degree, assault and battery, disturbing the peace, and criminal mischief.

Langu signed a plea deal with the government and pleaded guilty last Feb. 23 to the offense of sexual assault in the first degree.

As part of the plea deal, the government moved to dismiss the remaining charges. The court granted the motion.

At the sentencing hearing on Tuesday, acting chief prosecutor Barbara Cepeda recommended a sentence of between eight and 12 years imprisonment.

Cepeda argued that defendant’s youthfulness leaves a high possibility of rehabilitation. She also stated that defendant’s intoxication impaired his ability to use proper judgment.

Assistant public defender Matthew Meyer, counsel for Langu, recommended an eight-year prison term.

Kim-Tenorio recognized that Langu’s remorsefulness, lack of criminal history, and ability to be rehabilitated as mitigating factors.

Kim-Tenorio also acknowledged the parties’ and victim’s request for a lenient sentence.

The judge said Langu, an otherwise smart and thoughtful person, made a horrible decision that will now rob him of his formative years and a brighter future.

“Nonetheless, one’s remorse and apologies do not negate criminal behavior,” she said.

Kim-Tenorio said by unlawfully engaging in sexual penetration without consent, Langu committed a permanent violation of the victim’s authority over her own body.

“Such an invasion not only causes physical pain but leaves a traumatic and immeasurable scar to bear over one’s lifetime,” the judge pointed out.

Kim-Tenorio added that pleas for leniency offend basic notions of justice for victims of this crime and the community at large.

Two police officers responded last Sept. 1 at 3:57am to a call about a sexual assault incident in Chalan Kanoa.

The alleged victim told police that she was asleep inside her room when a man sexually assaulted her. The girl said she struggled, prompting the suspect she later recognized as Langu, to run outside the house.