Capayas pleads guilty to federal child pornography charge, sentencing set for July

William Saron Capayas pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands to one count of possession of child pornography, a federal offense under 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(5)(B).

Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona accepted Capayas' guilty plea during a change-of-plea hearing last Jan. 15. The court found Capayas, represented by counsel Richard Miller, fully competent and determined that the plea was entered knowingly and voluntarily. Capayas appeared out of custody with an interpreter present.

The court vacated the jury trial, ordered the plea agreement unsealed, and set sentencing for June 26, 2026, at 9am. The court also indicated it would enter a preliminary order of forfeiture.

Assistant U.S. attorney Garthe Backe represented the prosecution.

According to the plea agreement, the case arose after a complainant contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Oct. 6, 2025, regarding an Apple iPad belonging to Capayas. The complainant discovered suspected child sexual abuse material while attempting to help Capayas troubleshoot the device.

A forensic examination of the iPad revealed 31 videos containing child sexual abuse material, 149 still images derived from those videos, and files hidden in a concealed folder on the device

On Oct. 31, 2025, Capayas admitted to investigators that he owned the iPad, was the sole user, and acknowledged viewing and saving pornography involving children, in addition to adult pornography.

Potential penalties Capayas faces for one count of possession of child pornography include up to 10 years in federal prison, fine of up to $250,000, mandatory special assessments, including a $100 assessment, potentially an additional $5,000 under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, mandatory restitution to victims, and a supervised release term of at least five years and up to life.

Prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence at the low end of the federal sentencing guideline range, subject to court approval.

Additional consequences outlined in the plea agreement include Capayas registering as a sex offender, agreeing to the forfeiture of the Apple iPad used in the offense, and waiving most appeal rights.

In addition, as a non-U.S. citizen, Capayas acknowledged that his conviction makes deportation practically inevitable and a virtual certainty.

The plea agreement also bars the government from filing additional charges based on currently known conduct, provided Capayas complies with its terms.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(5)(B) makes it a federal crime to knowingly possess certain materials containing child pornography that have been transported via interstate or foreign commerce (including computers) or produced using such transported materials, focusing on the possession of any material (like disks, photos) with at least three images of child pornography, expanding the scope beyond earlier laws that focused on specific numbers of images or items. Essentially, it's about possessing any item containing three or more child pornography images that's been part of any commerce.