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A U.S. soldier in Texas has been sentenced to more than 14 years in prison for purchasing and possessing child pornography.

Army investigators found the illicit material in the cellphone of Hae Yeong Song, a private first class stationed at Joint Base San Antonio–Fort Sam Houston, Texas, court documents and a government officials said.

“This case involved the sexual abuse of children as young as three years old,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff, in a Justice Department statement Wednesday.

Agents from the FBI and the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division found more than a dozen videos and images of child pornography, prosecutors said.

Investigators found text messages between Song, 29, and an unknown person known as Mr.Hushh18 as they negotiated a price for the videos in January 2018. The messages took place via the Telegram app and were translated from Korean after Song surrendered his phone to military investigators, court documents said.

U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra found Song guilty of receipt of child pornography and of possession of child pornography last July. Besides the 170-month prison sentence, the judge ordered Song to pay $22,500 in restitution.

“Those who traffic in obscene material continue the abuse of that child that was captured when the file was created,” said Christopher Combs, a special agent with the FBI, in Wednesday’s statement.

A U.S. soldier stationed at Joint Base San AntonioFort Sam Houston, Texas, was sentenced Wednesday to 170 months, or more than 14 years, in prison for purchasing and possessing child pornography. Army investigators found the illicit material in the cellphone of Hae Yeong Song, a private first class and a South Korean national, court documents and a government ststement said.

A U.S. soldier stationed at Joint Base San AntonioFort Sam Houston, Texas, was sentenced Wednesday to 170 months, or more than 14 years, in prison for purchasing and possessing child pornography. Army investigators found the illicit material in the cellphone of Hae Yeong Song, a private first class and a South Korean national, court documents and a government ststement said. (file)

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