MINNEAPOLIS, MN – In a disturbing case of child sex abuse, Joshua Gardner, a 29-year-old Minneapolis man, was sentenced to 72 months in prison. Gardner pleaded guilty to one count of abusive sexual contact of a child under the age of 12.
According to court documents, Gardner sexually abused two boys under the age of 12 between September 1997 and May 2002, on Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan. At the time of the offenses, Gardner resided in Okinawa.
Gardner’s prison term, which is equivalent to six years, marks the beginning of his punishment. Upon his release from prison, he will be required to serve three years of supervised release. Furthermore, Gardner will be forced to register as a sex offender as a condition of his release.
The case against Gardner was brought under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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.
The prosecution of Gardner was led by Trial Attorney Mi Yung Park of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Ueland of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota. The case was the result of investigative efforts by the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations in Moody Air Force Base in Georgia and ICE Homeland Security Investigations in Minneapolis.
Gardner’s sentencing serves as a reminder of the serious consequences of child sex abuse. The Grimy Times urges parents and caregivers to remain vigilant in protecting our children from predators like Gardner.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and ICE Homeland Security Investigations worked together to bring Gardner to justice. The Grimy Times commends their efforts and commitment to keeping our communities safe.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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