A Chinese national is facing up to 20 years behind bars after pleading guilty to the possession of child pornography. Tong Sun, a 45-year-old Chinese national, was caught with multiple child abuse videos on his phone after he was apprehended trying to illegally enter the United States near Roma, Texas, on May 8, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
When taken into custody by law enforcement, they found videos on Sun’s phone that were disturbing in their content, to blatantly ignore the line that separates the innocent from the depraved. One such video depicted a child who appeared to be younger than five years of age. "Sun admitted to ownership of the phone and to possessing the child sexual abuse material," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office's statement.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Juan F. Alanis accepted Sun’s plea and scheduled the sentencing for March 25, 2024. If convicted, Sun's punishment may include a hefty fine of up to $250,000 alongside his prison sentence. Currently, Sun is being held in custody as he awaits his sentencing. The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in 2006 aimed to quickly bring down those who exploit the most vulnerable among us. Designed to marshal local, state, and federal resources, PSC leads the charge in identifying and rescuing victims, while prosecuting individuals responsible for sexual exploitation of children.
For those seeking more information about PSC or internet safety education, resources can be found on the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood page. Homeland Security Investigations together with Border Patrol were the agencies responsible for conducting the investigation leading to Sun’s arrest and plea.
