Thomas Aaron Hungerford to Face Three Felonies
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that a grand jury returned an indictment charging Thomas Aaron Hungerford, 54, with three federal felony charges relating to Hungerford’s creation and distribution of child pornography.
“Sexual exploitation targeting our youngest and most vulnerable is an ongoing threat,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Protecting kids is a critical part of our mission. While we would always want to prevent a child from experiencing harm, we stand ready to hold the predators who commit these crimes accountable.”
On May 24, 2024, Hungerford was charged by criminal complaint with distribution of child pornography following a federal search warrant that same day. This charge requires a minimum prison term of 5 years and a maximum term of 20 years. Hungerford has been held in custody since his arrest. The Court scheduled his arraignment for July 27, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.
A federal defendant has a right to be prosecuted by indictment issued by a grand jury if the offense is punishable by imprisonment for more than a year. Today’s indictment charges Hungerford with additional crimes. Count 1 of the indictment charges Hungerford with sexual exploitation of a child and alleges that he video-recorded a minor engaged in sexually explicit activity on August 16, 2023. If convicted of this count, he would face a minimum prison term of 15 years and a maximum term of 30 years. Counts 2 and 3 allege that Hungerford distributed child pornography. Each of these crimes require a minimum prison term of 5 years and a maximum term of 20 years.
“The defendant’s alleged actions are especially troubling, which range from outright right privacy violations to predatory behavior,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI will continue working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and expose individuals who commit these crimes.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Prosecution has been assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Timothy VerHey.
The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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U.S. Department
of Justice
