Hudsonville Man Sentenced To 17.5 Years For Sexually Exploiting Children

          GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Austin Thomas Noel, 27, of Hudsonville, Michigan, was sentenced to 210 months in prison for sexually exploiting children.  U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker also imposed seven years of supervised release following Noel’s custodial sentence. 

          “My office takes child exploitation cases very seriously,” said U.S. Attorney Totten. “Mr. Noel used social media to cast a wide net in search of girls and young women to sexually exploit. Now, he will serve over 17 years in prison for his predatory behavior. Our foot is on the gas and others who commit these crimes against children will face a similar fate.”

          “This sentence should serve as a deterrent to anyone considering preying on our most innocent and vulnerable members of society,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI is dedicated to investigating and prosecuting violent predators who commit crimes against our children. Successful work like this is made possible thanks to the wide network of law enforcement partners and we appreciate their critical support throughout this investigation.”       

          In January 2022, a mother reported to the FBI that she discovered her daughter had been engaging in sexually explicit chats with a man using the account name, “official_anoel.”  The conversations started when the child was 13 years old and continued for around two years.  The FBI identified Austin Noel as the man behind the “official_anoel” account and uncovered more than 700 chat logs and communications between Noel and girls and young women.  Approximately 37 of these individuals identified themselves as minors, more than 20 of which were between the ages of 12 and 15 years old.  Throughout the chats, Noel made numerous efforts to meet with the minors for sex.  In March 2023, Noel pleaded guilty to a Felony Information charging him with sexually exploiting the victim and using her to create child pornography for him. 

          This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor's offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following web site: https://www.justice.gov/psc.  Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.

          This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Mekaru and investigated by FBI Grand Rapids, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, Norton Shores Police Department, and the West Michigan Based Child Exploitation Trafficking Task Force (WEBCHEX), which is a partnership of FBI, Michigan State Police, and local agencies dedicated to investigating offenses against children. 

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