Mainstreet Daily News
A former Gainesville preschool teacher received a 120-year sentence in federal prison for four counts of production of child pornography.
According to a Tuesday release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, Trevor Hruby, 24, pled guilty to the charges.
“There is no greater charge than the protection of our children,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Coody in a press release. “This sentence is yet another example of the unwavering commitment to the protection of our most vulnerable and should serve as a significant deterrent to those who would attempt to harm them. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who engage in such heinous conduct.”
From December 2020 and September 2021, while employed at A Child’s Dream Preschool in Gainesville, Hruby produced sexually explicit images of numerous children in his care. The images were found in Hruby’s possession and involved minors under the age of 6.
Hruby was originally arrested on Sept. 15, 2021, for sexual battery of a child under 12 when he was working at A Child’s Dream Preschool. The Gainesville Police Department (GPD) released information on Feb. 23 adding that Hruby could have more potential victims since he had advertised his babysitting services online and had previously been employed in the Gainesville area, which put him in close contact with children daily.
Gainesville Police Chief Lonnie Scott issued the following statement: “One of the primary responsibilities of law enforcement is to protect our most precious resources; our children. I offer my sincere gratitude and appreciation for the collaboration between the Gainesville Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Attorney’s Office in removing this threat from our community. Together, working with our community we will diligently pursue those that prey on our children and make sure they never have the opportunity to victimize another child.”
According to the release, if Hruby is released from prison, he will be supervised for the remainder of his life and required to register as a sex offender. The court ordered $142,500 in restitution to provide counseling to the victims in the case.
“Instead of protecting vulnerable children in our community, this defendant chose to abuse his position of authority and sexually exploit them,” Sherri E. Onks, special agent in charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division, said in a statement. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the unwavering dedication of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to seek justice for our most innocent victims.”
Hruby is also facing separate, related state charges, which are being prosecuted by the State Attorney’s Office for 8th Judicial Circuit.