a day ago
New Mexico man sentenced in kidnapping and rape case involving county minor
A New Mexico man was sentenced in federal court to 28 years in prison earlier this week, after previously pleading guilty to two charges related to the kidnapping and sexual exploitation of a 12-year-old Hartsgrove Township resident in 2023.
Joseph Gunter pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in unlawful sexual activity in February before Northern District of Ohio Judge Charles Fleming, court records show.
The 28-year sentence handed down Wednesday by Fleming will be followed by lifetime supervised release with mandated conditions, court records show.
Ashtabula County Sheriff William Niemi credited the hard work of Ashtabula County Sheriff's Department Detective Ryan Reece and assistance from a variety of agencies, including the FBI.
'I'm happy [Gunter] got what he got,' Niemi said. 'I think that is appropriate.'
He said, to his knowledge, that was the maximum penalty in the case.
The case began on Sept. 23, 2023, when the victim disappeared while walking in Hartsgrove Township. For more than 24 hours, law enforcement and volunteers searched the area, looking for the victim.
Law enforcement got a break in the case when it was determined the victim had contact with a man on the internet, and details of who he was became evident. Numerous law enforcement agencies got involved in the case, Niemi said at the time.
Detectives were able to get a license plate and description of the suspect's vehicle, and got a picture of it in Kentucky, which led to Gunter's arrest in Texas, Niemi said previously.
