Great Bend Post
Jul 04, 2023

Larned man sentenced to 96 months in jail for indecent liberties with a child

Posted Jul 04, 2023 4:00 PM

From the Pawnee County Attorney's Office...

Justin W. Hammond, 39 of Larned, Kansas, appeared on bond June 30, 2023, before Pawnee County District Judge Bruce Gatterman for post-trial motions and felony sentencing.

A Pawnee County Jury found Hammond Guilty on March 10, 2023, of four counts of Aggravated Indecent Liberty with a Child, to wit: sexual intercourse with a child 14 or 15 years of age, and one count of Indecent Liberties with a Child, to wit: lewd fondling of child 14 or 15 years of age, following a five-day trial.

The crimes were alleged to have occurred in Pawnee County between July 8, 2018, and December 15, 2018. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation handled the investigation following a referral by the Pawnee County Sheriff.

At the sentencing, the State requested Hammond be sentenced to two consecutive aggravated 61 month prison sentences, the maximum allowed by law based on the defendant’s lack of criminal history. Defense counsel requested a probationary sentence. The defendant declined the opportunity to make a statement to the Court due to pending similar charges in Wyandotte County. After hearing the arguments of counsel, Judge Gatterman denied the defense request for probation and sentenced Hammond on the primary offense to the standard sentence of 59 months with an additional 37 month consecutive sentence on the additional counts for a total sentence of 96 months in the department of corrections. Hammond will also be subject to lifetime post-release supervision and lifetime offender registration as a sex offender.

Following sentencing, the Court denied the defense request to stay the sentence pending appeal. Hammond was immediately remanded into the custody of the Pawnee County Sheriff for his eventual delivery to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Prior to sentencing, the Court denied the defense motion for a new trial.

Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett presented the State’s case at trial. Hammond was represented by Jonathon McConnell of Wichita, Kansas.