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’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.
The case underscores 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 ends.
According to court documents, Hine began communicating with a 15-year-old girl in July 2018 and repeatedly asked her to create and send sexually explicit images and videos. Throughout 2019, he traveled across state lines monthly to engage in sexual acts with the victim, which he recorded on his cell phone. This conduct continued until 2020. Authorities said that Hine later posed as a minor female online to recruit other minors for similar purposes and advertised child sexual abuse material (CSAM) for sale over the internet.
Hine is required to register as a sex offender upon release from prison and will be subject to both federal and state registration requirements that may last throughout his life.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner prosecuted the case following investigations by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) offices in New Jersey and Kansas City.
This prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation nationwide through collaboration among federal, state, local, and tribal agencies.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri supports community outreach programs focused on preventing violent crime and drug trafficking according to its official website. The office has locations in Kansas City, Jefferson City, and Springfield according to its official website.
The office is affiliated with the Department of Justice according to its official website and handles prosecutions across sixty-six counties spanning from Iowa’s border southward toward Arkansas as well as westward from Kansas halfway across Missouri according to its official website. It collaborates closely with law enforcement partners at every level according to its official website.
