A Chinese national was convicted for transporting child pornography while illegally entering the country near Roma.

Tong Sun pleaded guilty on Dec. 20, 2023 and was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, around May 8, 2023, Sun attempted to illegally enter the country near Roma. Authorities took him into custody when they discovered several child pornography videos on his phone. One of the videos showed a child who appeared to be younger than 5 years old.

Sun admitted the cell phone was his and to possessing the child pornography. He was ordered to pay $35,000 in special assessments and will serve five years of supervised release after his prison sentence, during which he will have restricted access to children and the internet. He will also have to register as a sex offender, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Since Sun is not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.