Joplin man sentenced to 80 years in prison for molesting young girl

A man from Joplin has been sentenced to 80 years in prison. Read the full press release below:

40-year-old Bryon Allen Hansen was sentenced by Judge John LePage of the 40th Judicial Circuit for the sexual molestation of a juvenile victim from 2012 to 2015.

Hansen was convicted on December 2, 2021, on two counts of Statutory Sodomy in the First Degree and two counts of Child Molestation in the First Degree by a McDonald County jury after nearly twelve hours of deliberation. Hansen received 25 years on each count of Statutory Sodomy to run consecutively and 15 years on each count of Child Molestation.

The case stemmed from Hansen’s molestation of his step-daughter beginning in 2012 when the victim was seven years old and persisting through 2015 when the victim was approximately eleven years old. The abuse finally ended when the victim made a disclosure to her mother.

“This sentence provides closure to this victim and her family – it is closure that is long overdue,” said Newton County Prosecuting Attorney William Lynch. “The deck sometimes feels stacked against child victims in our criminal justice system and we are blessed to have high-quality, competent staff and attorneys who are willing to fight for our most vulnerable citizens. We will continue to make an example out of those who harm children in our community.”

In his argument for the sentence, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney J.D. Hatcher, who tried the case in December, stated that Hansen was “cold, calculating and manipulative and has refused to ever take responsibility for any of his actions.” Hatcher further argued “the only way to stop [Hansen] from sexually and physically abusing and manipulating young girls is by putting him behind bars.”

The case was investigated by the Newton County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by William Lynch, J.D. Hatcher, and Mitch Cross, of the Newton County Prosecutor’s Office.