New Hampshire Man Charged With Enticing a Minor (DOJ)

Burlington, Vermont - The Office of the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont stated that on April 17, 2026, Jared Marcus Hutchins, 22, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was charged with Enticement of a Minor and Travel With Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a Minor. Hutchins was arrested yesterday in Montpelier, Vermont. His initial appearance in court is scheduled for this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller.

According to court records, Hutchins began communicating via social media with the 13-year-old victim in late December of 2025. During the messaging, Hutchins requested that the minor victim send a video of herself engaging in sexual behavior, and the two also exchanged nude photos. On April 10, 2026, Hutchins and the minor victim met in a park in the area of Montpelier, Vermont and engaged in sexual intercourse. Afterward, Hutchins accused the minor victim of having other male contacts on social media. Hutchins searched through her phone, became angry, and physically assaulted the minor victim. Hutchins' physical assault of the minor victim included choking, striking her in the face with his hand, pointing a loaded firearm at her, striking her on the back of the head with the firearm, and stabbing her in the stomach with a screwdriver. After the assault, Hutchins drove off with the minor victim still in his car, reaching high rates of speed, before returning to Montpelier due to mechanical issues with his car. On April 16, 2026, after the minor victim had reported the abuse to law enforcement, Montpelier Police noticed Hutchins' vehicle in the City of Montpelier, located Hutchins nearby, and took him into custody. At the time he was apprehended, Hutchins was in possession of a firearm.

The United States Attorney's Office emphasizes that a criminal complaint contains allegations only and that Hutchins is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted of Enticement of a Minor, Hutchins faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life imprisonment. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the swift and collaborative investigatory efforts of the Montpelier Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Homeland Security Investigations; and the Manchester, New Hampshire Police Department. "I am extremely grateful for the partnership of these law enforcement agencies, and I am immensely proud of their work so far on this case. The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont will continue to prioritize protecting children from harm and holding accountable those who victimize them."

The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill. Hutchins has not yet retained or been appointed counsel.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.