Man Sentenced To 30 Years On Child Sexual Contact Charges
A Sault Ste. Marie man was sentenced to 30 years in prison on child sexual contact charges.
Ralph Fletcher Hepner Jr. was convicted of sexually abusing a nine-year-old child at his home.
The child reported the incident to a relative in 2018.
Hepner pleaded guilty to a sexual contact charge in December of 2020.
He was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release following his prison stint and to have no contact with the victim.
The case is part of “Project Safe Childhood,” an initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.