GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Grandville man faces federal child sex crimes following a grand jury indictment earlier this week.
The grand jury indicted Thomas A. Hungerford, 54, with three federal felony charges. He's accused of sexually exploiting a child and videoing the abuse on Aug. 13, 2023, and then sharing it.
“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.”
He was charged back in May with distribution of child pornography following an FBI investigation and search warrant. He's been in custody ever since.
This new indictment brought additional charges and accused him of more 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. 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 calls for 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 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.”
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy VerHey will prosecute the case.
Hungerford is expected to be arraigned on July 27.
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