Previously convicted Las Vegas sex offender sentenced in North Dakota to 45 years in federal prison for sexually abusing infant

FARGO, N.D. — A previously convicted sex offender from Las Vegas was sentenced Friday to 45 years in federal prison for sexually abusing a 1-year-old infant.

This sentence resulted from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI, and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Bryan James Hogle, 43, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Daniel L. Hovland to serve 45 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Hogle also has a prior conviction for sexually abusing a child in New Hampshire in 2008.

This case was brought to the attention of law enforcement after Dustin W. Kewley, of Fargo, North Dakota, began communicating with an undercover officer from the Metropolitan Police Department’s FBI Child Exploitation Task Force in Washington, D.C. While investigating Kewley, and after subsequent forensic examination of his computer and cellphone, it was determined there were text conversations between Hogle and Kewley discussing in detail their plan to meet to sexually abuse a 1-year-old infant.

On May 22, 2017, Kewley transported a 1-year-old infant from Fargo to Moorhead, Minnesota, to meet Hogle, who had traveled from Las Vegas the previous day. The two men met at a hotel in Moorhead where together they sexually abused the infant. Kewley and Hogle subsequently took steps to conceal their crime such as deleting their communications and bathing the child.

Kewley was sentenced Jan. 8 to serve 35 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release for the following convictions: conspiracy to transport a minor, transporting a minor, distributing materials containing child pornography, and possessing materials containing child pornography.

In addition to his prison sentence, Hogle was further ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $12,640 to the victim and $200 in special assessments to the Crime Victims’ Fund.

Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Puhl, District of North Dakota, prosecuted this case.

This investigation was conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 16,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2016, more than 2,600 child predators were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 800 victims identified or rescued.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

HSI is a founding member of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.