Fargo, N.D.–A previously convicted sex offender from Las Vegas was sentenced January 25 to 45 years in federal prison for sexually abusing a 1-year-old infant.

The 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 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.

The case was brought to the attention of law enforcement after Dustin 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.