A former employee of a popular Kansas City area steakhouse has been sentenced to 136 months in state prison after pleading guilty to a shocking array of charges, including adulterating food and possessing child sexual abuse material.
Jace Christian Hanson, 22, will spend a decade behind bars after a judge in Johnson County sentenced him Thursday. The case has been called “repulsive” by the court and led to the closure of the Hereford House restaurant location in Leawood where he worked.
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Graphic Videos Triggered Investigation
Hanson’s crimes came to light after he began posting graphic videos of his own actions online under the handle “Vandalizer.” Authorities received a tip that the videos showed the defendant urinating on food and rubbing food on his genitals while on the clock at the steakhouse.
According to KMBC, when questioned, Hanson admitted to the horrifying acts, estimating he behaved in such a way about 20 times. He confessed to relieving himself in Au Jus sauce and pickle jars and pressing his privates to pieces of salmon.
The resulting police investigation confirmed the food tampering and uncovered an even darker element: videos depicting child sexual abuse and messages from Hanson about his desire to commit such crimes. One such message reportedly read, “I really want this life honestly, it’s the only thing I live for, working so I can hopefully do as much damage as I can someday.”
Leawood Police Detective Jack Bond testified that the material found was “the most brutal and violent child sexual abuse material that I have ever seen.”
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Sentencing and Community Impact
In total, Hanson pleaded guilty to 33 charges, including 22 counts of criminal threat, one count of criminal damage, and 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a child.
KMBC reported that during the sentencing hearing, 10th Judicial District Judge Thomas Kelly Ryan called Hanson a “future danger,” waving the binder of evidence in the air to emphasize the severity of the crimes. “To use the term repulsive doesn’t begin to cover it,” Ryan said.
The fallout was immediate and devastating for the family-owned Hereford House, a staple in the Kansas City metro since 1957. Assistant District Attorney Xavier Andrews noted that Hanson “singlehandedly caused that location to close” after multiple lawsuits were filed against the establishment following his arrest.
Hanson offered an apology during his allocution, telling the court he would “take it all back if I could,” addressing Hereford House patrons, coworkers, and his family. Despite his contrition, he will now serve his time for the heinous and costly crimes.
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