Camilla Jessen
What police uncovered next was even more disturbing.
A former kitchen worker at an upscale Kansas steakhouse has been sentenced to 11 years and 4 months in prison after pleading guilty to dozens of felony charges, including food contamination and possession of child sexual abuse material.
Jace Hanson, who worked at Hereford House in Leawood, Kansas, was arrested in April 2024 after the FBI received a tip about disturbing videos posted online under the username “Vandalizer.”
The clips, shared across social media platforms, allegedly showed Hanson urinating, spitting, and stomping on food — and then serving it to customers.
According to court documents cited by KCTV5, KMBC 9, and The Kansas City Star, Hanson filmed himself contaminating food more than 20 times between March 26 and April 25, 2024.
The investigation took an even darker turn when Leawood Police, with assistance from the FBI, searched Hanson’s electronic devices.
What they found led to 10 additional felony charges related to child exploitation.
“It was the most brutal and violent child sexual-abuse material that I have ever seen,” said Detective Jack Bond, who testified that the content was so graphic he had to take breaks during the review process.
Hanson pleaded guilty to 33 felony counts, including 22 counts of criminal threat, one count of criminal damage over $25,000, and 10 child exploitation charges. He was sentenced on October 9, 2025, to the maximum penalty allowed under Kansas law.
Fallout for the restaurant
The scandal led to the permanent closure of the Hereford House’s Leawood location on August 3, 2024.
According to co-owner Camellia Hill, the business was “basically destroyed” overnight. Within days, 13 lawsuits had been filed, and nearly 400 food-poisoning complaints were logged by Leawood police.
The department’s records system reportedly crashed due to the flood of reports.
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, who may have used AI in the preparation
