Jason Kuhndel handed nine months for sending explicit photos, videos to minor
Supported by his parents and brother, 20-year-old Jason Kuhndel of Woodstock stood calmly before Frederiction Provincial Court Judge Natalie LeBlanc as she sentenced him for online sex crimes on Friday, Aug. 9.
Kuhndel was given nine months in jail, two years probation, and will spend 20 years on the National Sex Offender Registry. He’s also not allowed to have contact with the victim and must delete any images or videos of the victim from all electronic devices.
Judge LeBlanc did not prohibit Kuhndel from being in public spaces where minors may be present or restrict his internet use. She cited his immediate plea of guilty, his sincere remorse, the positive pre-sentence report, and his family’s consistent support, noting she did not believe Kuhndel was a risk to the public and that he had ‘excellent rehabilitation potential.’
Earlier this year, the Woodstock man pleaded guilty to one count of child luring and one count of making sexually explicit material available to a minor with the intent to create child pornography. The charges relate to incidents that occurred in Fredericton in January 2023. The victim, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, was 11 years old at the time.
In an agreed statement of facts, the court heard that Fredericton Police began their investigation in March 2023.
Kuhndel met the victim when he was a camp counsellor, and she was a camper at a regional camp. In January 2023, the girl contacted Kuhndel on the social media app Snapchat, and the two began talking. Within a month, they exchanged intimate photos and videos. When she told him she was 11, he deleted her off Snapchat. She then added him back, and they began talking again. The two also shopped for sexual items at a Fredericton mall with friends.
During the investigation, Fredericton Police found no evidence of sexual touching, but Judge LeBlanc noted that didn’t negate the severity of the crime. She referenced the victim impact statement, noting the victim’s mental health had suffered greatly since the crimes occurred.
After handing down her sentence, Judge LeBlanc wished Kuhndel luck and told him she hoped the sentence would give him time to reflect.
“You have to do better,” said Judge LeBlanc. “You have to make up for the harm you did to this community as well as to society in general. The victim in this case did not deserve to be injured, and while I recognize the remorse, it does not fix the victim or automatically heal the victim.”
When the hearing concluded, Kuhndel hugged his lawyer and told his family he loved them before sheriff’s officers took him away in handcuffs.
