Court sentences Hosei to 15 years for sexual assault

October 28, 2021 – Vianney Nennis Hosei, the last of four defendants to be sentenced, will spend the next 15 years in jail for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old female at a BBQ in 2019 after he was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Elyze M. Iriarte earlier today.

The defendant was convicted via jury trial back in April of First Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct as a First Degree Felony and one count of Third Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct as a Second Degree Felony for being part of a group who had sex with a physically helpless victim.

His co-defendants Burton Borja and Dwayne Piyelit pleaded guilty to Third Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct and are serving four and six years in jail, respectively.

Joleen-Lee Rankin, who obtained footage of the incident from one of the men’s phones and distributed it on Facebook Messenger, was convicted of Criminal Facilitation of Dissemination of Child Pornography as a Third Degree Felony. The victim provided input on the sentencing of Rankin, and she will not be serving any time in jail.

“The sentence reflects the severity of a group sexual assault of a physically helpless minor victim. The legislature has determined that this type of crime warrants 15 years. This sentence should send a message to all individuals that violation of another’s body in such a reprehensible way is never to be tolerated,” said Prosecuting Attorney Christine Tenorio.