A Newton man accused of committing sex acts with a teenage girl, and of having online sexual communications with an officer posing as an underage girl, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison on four felony counts. On Monday, District Court Judge Martha Mertz sentenced 22-year-old Ryan Andrew Hammen to three consecutive and one simultaneous five year prison terms, and imposed four sex offender registry civil penalties of $260 dollars each. Hammen pleaded guilty to two class D felony grooming charges, a class D felony 1st offense purchase or possession of a minor in a sex act charge, and a class C felony charge of 1st offense 3rd degree sexual abuse of a child victim by a person four or more years older. The Newton man was arrested a year ago by Newton Police, and the department added additional charges in March and April of this year.
Court documents say an investigation by the Newton Police Department was initiated after Hammen began communicating with an officer posing as a 15-year-old girl on Snapchat. According to Newton Police captain Chris Wing, the communication between Hammen and the officer was of a sexual nature, and Hammen allegedly requested they meet. Newton Police said there was also evidence that the Newton man had committed sex acts with a teenage girl.
