Charlotte child molester sentenced to 75 years in prison

A Charlotte man was sentenced to a minimum of 75 years in prison this week after pleading guilty to sexually abusing two children, the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office said.

Andrew Ross Hostetler, 35, pleaded guilty mid-trial to two counts of rape of a child, four counts of sexual offense with a child, incest and two counts of indecent liberties with a child.

For years, Hostetler photographed and made video recordings of the abuse, prosecutors said. In 2013, the children’s mother discovered inappropriate photographs of the children and called Charlotte-Mecklenburg police.

Before sentencing Hostetler, Superior Court Judge Robert Bell said it was important that Hostetler’s sentence protect the community from him.

This story was originally published October 15, 2015 at 6:06 AM with the headline "Charlotte child molester sentenced to 75 years in prison."