GILLETTE (WNE) — A Gillette man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on four counts of producing child pornography.
Dustin Anthony Hiebert, 24, pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment in federal court, and a trial has been set for April 11.
If convicted on all counts, Hiebert faces 15 years to life in prison and five years to life of supervised release.
Hiebert had been charged in Gillette with three counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor and four counts of sexual exploitation of children. Those charges were recently dismissed because Hiebert had been charged federally with crimes based on the same event and circumstances. Deputy County Attorney Greg Steward said in court documents that Hiebert’s prosecution would be more appropriately handed under federal jurisdiction.
The affidavit of probable cause filed in the case remains confidential and no other facts regarding the case were provided by U.S. Attorney Bob Murray in a press release.
In addition to prison time, Hiebert also could face fees — not the least of which is up to $250,000 in fines. He also could be ordered to pay a $5,000 special assessment through the Victims of Sex Trafficking Act and a $100 special assessment on each count; a $50,000 special assessment and mandatory restitution of not less than $3,000 per requesting victim pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.
