A Columbia, Missouri man was sentenced on April 15 to 30 years in federal prison without parole for attempted enticement of a minor and advertising child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address child sexual exploitation and abuse. Ryan Edward Hine, age 29, received his sentence from U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough and will also serve 20 years of supervised release after his prison term.
Court documents show that Hine began communicating with a 15-year-old girl in July 2018, repeatedly asking her to create and send sexually explicit images and videos. In 2019, he traveled across state lines monthly to engage in sexual acts with the victim, recording these encounters on his cell phone until this conduct ended in 2020. Hine later posed as a minor female online to recruit other minors for Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) production and advertised this material for sale over the internet.
Hine is required to register as a sex offender following his release from prison and will be subject to both federal and state registration requirements potentially for life. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) offices in New Jersey and Kansas City.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation through coordinated efforts among various agencies nationwide. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri supports community outreach programs focused on issues such as violent crime prevention according to its official website. The office has locations in Kansas City, Jefferson City, and Springfield according to its official website, operates under the Department of Justice according to its official website, handles prosecutions across western Missouri’s 66 counties according to its official website, covers territory from Iowa’s border southward into Arkansas according to its official website, and works closely with law enforcement partners at all levels according to its official website.
