Grimy Times
FRESNO, Calif. – A Tuolumne County man was sentenced to 19 years and 7 months in prison for sexually exploiting minors, a crime that has left the community shaken.
Curtis Benjamin Hults, 63, of Twain Harte, was found guilty of four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of receipt of child pornography.
According to court documents, Hults admitted to creating images of four different minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct between May 1, 2008, and October 8, 2012. He stored these images on a digital camera and then transferred them to a computer. Additionally, Hults downloaded more than 600 images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, some of whom were prepubescent and some of the images depicted violence.
Hults has been in custody as a danger to the community and flight risk since his initial court appearance on October 17, 2013. He pleaded guilty on June 23, 2014.
The case was the result of an investigation by the FBI, the Visalia Police Department, the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office, and the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney David Gappa prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program aims to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
Hults’ sentence is a harsh reminder of the severe consequences of such heinous crimes. As this case demonstrates, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies will continue to work tirelessly to protect children from predators like Hults.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. Click on the ‘resources’ tab for information about Internet safety education.
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Related Federal Cases
- California Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting Montana Girl · Texas
- Monaca Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Sexually Exploiting Minors · Pennsylvania
- Child Pornography Ring Busted: 8 Indicted for Exploiting Minors · Washington
- CA Predator Flew to Ohio, Sexually Exploited Teen · Ohio
- ICE Nabs 9 Sex Offenders in California Raid · Texas
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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