Kansan sentenced to two life terms for child sex crimes

ELLSWORTH, Kan. –  A man from Kansas has been sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison for conviction of child sex crimes under the Kansas version of Jessica’s Law, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said.

Jason Cunningham, 36, of Wilson, Kansas was sentenced in Ellsworth County District Court by Judge Carey Hipp to two life sentences with parole eligibility after 50 years, plus an additional 32 months in prison. Cunningham was found guilty by a jury in July of two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, one count of attempted aggravated criminal sodomy, one count of attempted aggravated indecent liberties with a child, one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, one count of indecent liberties with a child, one count of aggravated intimidation of a victim, and two counts of promoting obscenity to a minor.

Hipp also sentenced Cunningham to lifetime registration as a violent offender and lifetime parole.

The case was investigated by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation’s Northeast Child Victim Task force with the assistance from additional KBI agents, the Wilson Police Department and the Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators said the crimes occurred between 2014 and 2020 and involved two minor children at the time the crimes were committed.