SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that an Anderson, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet.

Michael Hutchinson, 54, of Anderson, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard E. Dorr on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011, to 17 years and six months in federal prison without parole.

Hutchinson pleaded guilty on April 13, 2011. His son, co-defendant Christopher Hutchinson, 25, also of Anderson, pleaded guilty to the same charge of receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet on June 21, 2011. A sentencing hearing for Christopher Hutchinson has not yet been scheduled.

According to court documents, Michael Hutchinson was alleged to have sexually assaulted a child when the victim was between 10 and 13 years of age. He was actively engaged in sharing images and videos of child pornography over the Internet using a peer-to-peer file-sharing program.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cybercrimes Task Force.

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