New Mexico Man Sentenced to 28 Years for Sexually Exploiting Ohio Minor

CLEVELAND – On June 30, 2025, Joseph Gunter, 41, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was sentenced to 28 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles E. Fleming for sexually exploiting a 12-year-old girl from Ohio. Gunter pleaded guilty in February to charges of traveling over 1,600 miles to engage in unlawful sexual activity with a minor and transporting a minor with intent to commit sexual offenses. He was also ordered to serve lifetime supervised release, pay $5,000 in restitution under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Assistance Act of 2018, and $10,000 to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015. Court documents reveal that on September 21, 2023, the Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office reported the 12-year-old girl missing. Investigators determined Gunter had been communicating with the victim for months via the Twitter mobile application. Despite the victim’s attempt to cut contact by deleting her account, Gunter reestablished communication after she created a new one. On the morning of her disappearance, Gunter allegedly approached the girl while she was walking, threatened her with a firearm, and forced her into his vehicle. He then transported her across state lines, staying at multiple hotels where he physically assaulted and repeatedly raped her during the journey to New Mexico. A multi-state investigation involving the FBI’s Cleveland, Albuquerque, Dallas, Chicago, and Little Rock divisions, along with the Gray County (Texas) and Ashtabula County (Ohio) Sheriff’s Offices, led to Gunter’s apprehension in Gray County, Texas. Authorities conducted a traffic stop, located the victim in Gunter’s vehicle, and recovered two firearms. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret A. Kane and Michael Sullivan. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, serving nearly six million residents across 40 counties from its headquarters in Cleveland and branches in Akron, Toledo, and Youngstown, emphasizes victim protection and federal law enforcement. To report child exploitation, contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at cybertipline.org or 1-800-843-5678, available 24/7.