Man convicted of covering-up Middletown boy’s death sentenced to at least 15 years in prison

HAMILTON — The boyfriend of a Middletown woman convicted of covering-up the death of the woman’s 6-year-old son, was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years in prison Tuesday in Butler County Common Pleas Court.

>>PREVIOUS REPORT: Boyfriend who helped cover up 6-year-old’s murder pleads guilty

James Hamilton, 42, pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the death of James Hutchinson. Hamilton changed his plea to guilty Aug. 24 on charges of kidnapping, gross abuse of a corpse, and two counts of endangering children.

Butler County Judge Noah Powers sentenced Hamilton to between 15 and 19 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Hamilton will have to register as a child victim offender, and will have to register on the state’s violent offender registry.

Hamilton was facing a maximum sentence of 19 years in prison.

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Before sentencing Hamilton read a statement where he apologized for his actions, said he had remorse, and hopes investigators are able to find the boy’s remains in the Ohio River.

>>RELATED: Timeline: How the investigation into James Hutchinson’s death unfolded

Hamilton’s girlfriend and the mother of Hutchinson, Brittany Gosney, 29, was sentenced last month to life in prison with the chance of parole in 21 years, after she pleaded guilty to murder and other charges.

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Gosney and Hamilton were charged earlier this year after investigators said Gosney killed Hutchinson while trying to abandon him, then both Gosney and Hamilton threw the boy’s body into the Ohio River.

>>Court records: Mother, boyfriend ‘hog-tied’ James Hutchinson, siblings before boy’s death

Gosney had taken Hutchinson and her other two children to Rush Run Wildlife Area in Preble County with the intent on abandoning them in the early morning hours of Feb. 27. Hutchinson suffered a deadly injury when he grabbed onto the vehicle Gosney was driving as she sped away.

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According to investigative records, Gosney said she intended to abandon the children after feeling pressure from Hamilton to do so.

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After bringing Hutchinson’s body back to Middletown, along with the two other children who were not hurt, Gosney and Hamilton drove to Lawrenceburg, Indiana about 24 hours after the boy died. Investigators said the boy’s body was dumped into the Ohio River from the Carroll Cropper Bridge, the I-275 bridge that crosses the river.

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Hutchinson’s body has not been recovered, despite multiple attempts by search crews in the months following his death.

Court records also allege Hutchinson and his two siblings were hog-tied and tortured in the hours before Gosney drove them to Preble County with the intention of abandoning them. They were left in that position for hours and “with purpose to terrorize and/or inflict serious physical harm,” prosecutors allege.

Additionally, investigators said after Hutchinson’s death, Gosney and Hamilton tied a concrete block to the boy’s body when they dumped it in the Ohio River.

This is a developing story and more details will be added.

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