Man from Mitchell County, Florida, found guilty in child exploitation case

TALLAHASSEE, Ga. (WALB) – A Mitchell County man has been found guilty of a sex crime against a minor in Florida.

Dustin M. Hatcher, 39, of Sale City was found guilty by a federal court jury of attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct and traveling interstate with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.

The guilty verdict was handed down on Tuesday afternoon, July 16, at the end of a one-and-a-half-day trial.

During that investigation, according to the Justice Department, an undercover agent posted an ad on a website stating that he and his 14-year-old niece, another undercover agent, were available for a sexual encounter.

Hatcher later reportedly arranged to meet at a gas station in Tallahassee, Florida, where he was arrested by Leon County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations agents, according to officials.

His sentencing is scheduled for October 4 in Tallahassee. He faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in a federal prison, up to a maximum of life imprisonment, followed by a possible sentence of five years in prison up to life probation.

Do you have a news tip or do you see an error that needs to be corrected? Let us know. Please include the title of the article in your message.

To stay up to date with all the latest news, follow WALB on Facebook And X (Twitter)For more news from South Georgia, download the WALB News app from Apple Store or Google Play.

Copyright 2024 WALB. All rights reserved.