Hastings Man Sentenced to 16½ Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation Crimes
Published: February 23rd, 2026
MINNEAPOLIS: A 29-year-old Hastings MN man has been sentenced to more than 16 years in federal prison for crimes involving the production and possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota, Hunter James Geidl was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 198 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release.
Federal authorities say that on May 19, 2022, Geidl knowingly possessed a video file depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Court documents also state that from approximately July 29, 2022, through March 22, 2024, Geidl employed and used minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing sexually explicit videos.
At sentencing, Katherine M. Menendez, U.S. District Judge, said that while Geidl may have been a first-time defendant, he was not a first-time offender.
In a statement, Richard Evanchec, interim special agent in charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office, emphasized the agency’s commitment to protecting children.
“Protecting our nation’s children is a mission we hold sacred in the FBI,” Evanchec said. “The sentence imposed on Mr. Geidl should send a strong message about our work to bring to justice those who prey on America’s kids.”
Authorities are asking anyone with information about additional potential victims who have not yet been identified to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Hastings Police Department.
It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative brings together federal, state and local agencies to identify victims and prosecute individuals who exploit children.
Assistant U.S. Attorney LeeAnn K. Bell prosecuted the case.