CLARINDA, IOWA, February 23, 2026: The Page County Attorney’s Office announced today (Monday) that 52-year-old Gary Wayne Hilgerson, of Shenandoah, entered pleas of guilty to one count of Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree, a class C felony, and one count of Indecent Contact with a Child, an aggravated misdemeanor.

Judge Maggie Reyes sentenced Hilgerson, in accordance with his plea agreement, to a 10-year sentence of incarceration for the sexual abuse charge and a 2-year sentence of incarceration for the indecent contact charge. These sentences will be served consecutively, for a total of up to 12 years of incarceration in the Iowa Department of Corrections. Hilgerson will also be required to register as a sex offender for life.

This case was investigated by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, with help from the Shenandoah Police Department, and prosecuted by the Page County Attorney’s Office.

Gary Wayne Hilgerson