ND man sentenced to 60 years for sexual abuse of children

KARLSRUHE, N.D. (Valley News Live) - A North Dakota man will spend six decades behind bars after being convicted of sexually abusing children.

Dwayne Gerard, Sr., 63, of Karlsruhe, ND, was sentenced to serve 60 years in federal prison followed by lifetime supervised release for eight counts of sexual exploitation of minors.

Court documents report between 2015 and 2019, Gerard produced videos of himself sexually abusing multiple children with the purpose of distributing the material. Law enforcement conducted a search of his electronic devices and found images and videos of the abuse.

Gerard was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2021 and pleaded guilty to the eight counts on August 17, 2022.

During the sentencing Judge Daniel L. Hovland called Gerard “a parent’s worst nightmare” and one of the worst cases he has seen on the bench.

“This is truly a case that required a sentence sufficient enough to ensure the defendant never harms another child again,” said Assistant United States Attorney Gary Delorme

At the sentencing on December 6, 2022, several family members provided statements expressing the impact the sexual abuse has had on the children and their families.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Copyright 2022 KVLY. All rights reserved.