Trigger Warning: Child Sexual Abuse

Man Sentenced to 18 Years After Pleading Guilty to Sexually Abusing, Producing Sexual Abuse Materials with Child

NORFOLK, Va. — Hubert Lester Gusler Jr., 71, was sentenced to serve 18 years in prison after he was found guilty of sodomy of a child, aggravated sexual battery of a child, taking indecent liberties with a child under his care, and producing child pornography (also known as child sexual abuse material; CSAM).

On Sept. 23, 2024, Mr. Gusler was cellphone shopping in Virginia Beach. When Mr. Gusler handed over his old phone to a store clerk to initiate a transfer of data to a new phone, the clerk came across what he described as disturbing CSAM images of a seven-year-old child. The store clerk contacted Virginia Beach Police to report the images, and the department contacted Norfolk Police to execute a search warrant at Mr. Gusler’s home in Norfolk. There, police confiscated electronic devices that were also found to contain CSAM depicting the same child. Police detained Mr. Gusler, and he consented to an interview with investigators. During the interview, he confirmed that the CSAM showed both him and the child, but he denied that some of the sexual acts they depicted had taken place.

On Aug. 5, 2025, Mr. Gusler entered an agreement to plead no contest to sodomy of a child under age 13, aggravated sexual battery of a child under age 13, taking indecent liberties with a child in his care under age 15, and producing child pornography with a child under age 15 and to face an active sentence of up to 18 years in prison. Judge David W. Lannetti accepted Mr. Gusler’s plea agreement, found him guilty, and set his sentencing hearing on Oct. 24.

At Mr. Gusler’s sentencing hearing, the Commonwealth argued that Mr. Gusler should serve the maximum 18 years allowable under his plea agreement, while his defense counsel argued for a 10-year sentence due to Mr. Gusler’s advanced age and poor health. After hearing the arguments, Judge Lannetti sentenced Mr. Gusler to serve 18 years in prison and suspended another 22 years on the conditions that Mr. Gusler completes 10 years of uniform good behavior, completes an indeterminate period of supervised probation, registers as a sex offender, and undergoes sex offender treatment after his release.

“Mr. Gusler’s sexual abuse of a young child is a terrible crime, a betrayal of the youth and innocence of the survivor of his actions,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “That Mr. Gusler recorded his sexual abuse, for whatever reason, makes his crime far worse. Mr. Gusler may be 71, but he poses a danger to children and the public, and that is why we recommended that he serve a sentence that will likely keep him confined forever. We have a duty as a society to protect children, and my office and I will carry out our duty.”

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys Abigail L. Ottinger and Victoria T. Vaccaro prosecuted Mr. Gusler’s case, and Norfolk Police Detective Richard J. Wampler led the investigation.

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