Child Sex Trafficker Sentenced To 17.5 Years In Federal Prison

(Saipan, MP), ALICIA A.G. LIMTIACO, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI), announced that ANNETTE NAKATSUKASA BASA, was sentenced today, December 5, 2014, in the U.S. District Court of the Northern Mariana Islands by Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona, for sex trafficking of children.  Defendant BASA received a sentence of 17.5 years incarceration with credit for time served, five years supervised release upon release from prison, 500 hours of community service, $100 special assessment fee and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $9,102.39.  She was further ordered to undergo a mental health assessment and receive any corresponding treatment that may be appropriate while in the Bureau of Prisons custody.  Defendant Basa is not to unlawfully use controlled substances or alcohol.  Basa will also have to register as a sex offender under the SORNA program.    

Defendant BASA pled guilty on February 20, 2014, to one count of sex trafficking of children, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. Section 1591(a)(1).  Defendant BASA took in minor runaways, allowed them to live with her, gave them methamphetamine and then demanded they perform sexual acts for money.

U.S. Attorney Limtiaco stated, “The sexual exploitation and abuse of vulnerable individuals is an affront to fundamental human rights and will not be tolerated. The defendant preyed on these young victims, manipulating and sexually exploiting them.  Today’s sentence sends the critical message that human trafficking is a crime that violates the very core and dignity of a human being and traffickers face severe punishment.  The Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney’s Office remain committed to vigorously prosecuting and holding accountable those who perpetrate these heinous crimes." 

U.S. Attorney Limtiaco additionally 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 the CNMI and who reside in the CNMI must inform the CNMI DPS 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.  CNMI’s Sex Offender Registry can be found online at http://cnmi.nsopw.gov/.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood (PSC) 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. Attorneys Rami Badawy and Ross Naughton.