A man from Dunn County has been given one of the most severe sentences for child exploitation offenses in the history of North Dakota.
Jason Lathe Hutchinson, 54, has been given a lengthy prison sentence of 450 months, which is equivalent to 37.5 years. This is followed by a lifetime of supervised release. The charges against him involve the production and attempted production of images depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.
In 2023, authorities became aware of Hutchinson’s actions after hidden cameras were found in the bathrooms of his properties. These cameras were used to capture images of minors in different stages of undress surreptitiously.
Further investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations, and the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office uncovered that Hutchinson had been involved in this activity since 1992.
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“This long sentence is a fair one considering the shocking and predatory crimes at issue in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office and our partners in law enforcement are committed to protecting North Dakota kids,” a press release by The United States Attorney’s Office read. “We will continue to vigorously pursue child predators online and in the community and bring them to justice in federal court.”
Several children, aged 5 to 17, were found to be victims in the images discovered during the investigation. Hutchinson confessed to the charges during his interactions with law enforcement and in a hearing where he changed his plea.