(Fremont Co.) The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office provided an update regarding a criminal investigation that began in December 2023 involving sexually motivated crimes against children in Fremont County.
During the course of that investigation, deputies uncovered information identifying Gary Wayne Hilgerson, age 52, of Shenandoah, as a suspect in a separate sexual assault that occurred in Page County, Iowa. In July 2025, Hilgerson was contacted by a Fremont County investigator and admitted to the allegations. The information was subsequently forwarded to the Shenandoah Police Department and the Page County Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
Hilgerson later pleaded guilty to Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree, a Class C Felony, and Indecent Contact with a Child, an Aggravated Misdemeanor. Maggie Reyes sentenced Hilgerson to a ten-year term of incarceration on the sexual abuse charge and a two-year term on the indecent contact charge, to be served consecutively, for a total sentence of up to twelve years in the custody of the Iowa Department of Corrections. He is also required to register as a sex offender.
“The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office appreciates the professional collaboration of the Page County Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners throughout this investigation. We believe this outcome reflects the seriousness of these offenses and reinforces our shared commitment to holding offenders accountable.
The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office remains dedicated to protecting our most vulnerable citizens and will continue to aggressively investigate crimes against children.”
