Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Kenneth Brian Hanger (47, St. Augustine) to 15 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a child over the internet to produce a sexually explicit video of herself. Hanger was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release. In 1994, Hanger was convicted of aggravated indecent assault of a 4-year-old child in Pennsylvania and was required to register as a child sex offender. Hanger has been detained since his arrest on June 5, 2018. He had pleaded guilty to this charge on December 18, 2018. 

According to court documents, on May 22, 2018, a detective with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJSO) reviewed sex offender registration information provided by Hanger. Hanger disclosed his use of a social mediaaccount that did not list his true name. Posing as a 13-year-old child, the detective sent a “friend request” to this account, and Hanger accepted the request and made online contact with the “child.” Between May 24 and June 5, 2018, Hanger and the “child” engaged in online conversations on several occasions using a texting application. Hanger was advised, and acknowledged several times, that the “child” was 13 years old. 

On June 1, 2018, Hanger raised the topic of sexual activity between himself and the “child” and suggested meeting to engage in sex. On June 4, 2018, Hanger and the “child” again discussed meeting for sex, and Hanger sent the “child” an explicit photo of himself. Later that day, Hanger asked the “child” to send him a sexually explicit video. The following day, SJSO detectives arrested Hanger at his home. During an interview, Hanger admitted that he engaged in online conversation with the 13-year-old “child,” that he had sent “her” a photo of his own genitalia, and that he had stated that he intended to engage in sex with the “child.”      

“This previously convicted sex offender has proven to society that he remains a threat to our communities,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “This sentencing represents the hard work of HSI, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.”      

This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations as part of Operation “Rip Current.” It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces today that Kenneth Brian Hanger (46, St. Augustine) has pleaded guilty to attempted online enticement of a child to produce child pornography. In 1994, Hanger was convicted of aggravated indecent assault in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, and is a registered sex offender. Hanger faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. Hanger has been in custody since his arrest on June 5, 2018. 

According to court documents, on May 22, 2018, a detective with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJSO) reviewed sexual offender registration information provided by Hanger. Hanger disclosed his use of a Facebookaccount that did not list his true name. Posing as a minor child, the detective sent a “friend request” to this account, and Hanger accepted this request and made online contact with the “child.” Between May 24 and June 5, 2018, Hanger and the “child” engaged in online conversations on several occasions using a texting application.  Hanger was advised and acknowledged that the “child” was 13 years old. 

On June 1, 2018, Hanger raised the topic of sexual activity between himself and the “child” and suggested meeting to engage in sex. On June 4, 2018, Hanger and the “child” again discussed meeting for sex, and Hanger sent the “child” an explicit photo of himself. Later that day, Hanger asked the “child” to send him a graphic video depicting “her” genitalia.  The next day, SJSO detectives arrested Hanger at his home. 

This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Kenneth Brian Hanger (46, St. Augustine) with attempted online enticement of a minor, attempted production of child pornography, and online solicitation of child pornography. In 1994, Hanger was convicted of aggravated indecent assault in Bradford County, Pennsylvania and is required to register as a sexual offender. Because of his prior child sex offense conviction, Hanger faces cumulative enhanced penalties in this case of 70 years, and up to life, in federal prison. On July 6, 2018, Hanger was ordered detained pending his trial. 

According to court documents, on May 22, 2018, a detective with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJSO) reviewed sexual offender registration information provided by Hanger. Hanger disclosed his use of a Facebookaccount that did not list his true name. Posing as a minor child, the detective sent a “friend request” to this account, and Hanger accepted this request and made online contact with the “child.” Between May 24 and June 5, 2018, Hanger and the “child” engaged in online conversations on several occasions using a texting application.  Hanger was advised and acknowledged that the “child” was 13 years old. 

On June 1, 2018, Hanger raised the topic of sexual activity between himself and the “child” and suggested meeting to engage in sex. On June 4, 2018, Hanger and the “child” again discussed meeting for sex, and Hanger sent the “child” an explicit photo of himself. Hanger suggested that they would need to use condoms so that the “child” would not become pregnant and Hanger would not “leave any DNA.” Later that day, Hanger asked the “child” to send him a graphic video depicting “her” genitalia. The next day, SJSO detectives arrested Hanger at his home.

This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Jacksonville, Florida – Kenneth Brian Hanger (46, St. Augustine) has been arrested and charged by a federal criminal complaint with soliciting child pornography using the internet. In 1994, Hanger was convicted of aggravated indecent assault in Bradford County, Pennsylvania and is required to register as a sexual offender. Because of his prior sex offense conviction, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 25 years, and up to 50 years, in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervision. Hanger is currently being detained pending his detention hearing on July 6, 2018. 

According to the criminal complaint, on May 22, 2018, a detective with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJSO) reviewed sexual offender registration information provided to the SJSO by Hanger, in which Hanger disclosed his use of a Facebookaccount that did not list his true name. Posing as a minor child, the detective sent a “friend request” to this account and Hanger accepted this request and made online contact with the “child.” Between May 24, 2018 and June 5, 2018, Hanger and the “child” engaged in online conversations on several occasions using a texting application. Hanger was advised and acknowledged that the “child” was only 13 years old. 

On June 1, 2018, Hanger raised the topic of sexual activity between himself and the “child” and suggested that he and the “child” meet to engage in sex. On June 4, 2018, Hanger and the “child” again discussed meeting for sex, and Hanger sent the “child” a photo of his penis. Later that same day, Hanger solicited the “child” to produce and send him a graphic video depicting “her” genitalia. Two days later, SJSO detectives arrested Hanger at his residence in St. Augustine. During an interview, Hanger admitted that he had engaged in online conversations with the 13 year old “child,” that he had sent “her” a photo of his own genitalia, and that he had stated his intentions to engage in sex.      

This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please

visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."