Gainesville man sentenced to 45 years in prison in case of rape and false imprisonment of 15-year-old

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Antron Markell Hutchinson, 33, has been sentenced to 45 years in state prison after entering pleas of nolo contendere to sexual battery with force on a victim between the ages of 12 and 16, traveling to meet a minor, unlawful use of a two-way communications device, and pawnbroker transaction fraud under $300. Assistant State Attorney Brooke King led the prosecution team.

A Gainesville Police Department investigation revealed that Hutchinson met and chatted with a 15-year-old child victim via social media. Hutchinson then ordered an Uber for the victim to meet him at a motel room on SW 13th Street in Gainesville. Hutchinson broke the child victim’s phone, trapped him in the room, and raped him. The victim suffered significant injuries and underwent surgery. During the course of the investigation, Hutchinson asked a friend to delete media on his Snapchat after he was informed that law enforcement had obtained a warrant.

After Hutchinson entered an open plea, Judge Phillip Pena sentenced him to consecutive terms of 30 and 15 years on the first two charges, with concurrent 5-year sentences on each of the second two charges. Hutchinson has been designated a Sexual Predator and will be on sex offender probation for the rest of his life after he is released from prison.