Long Island Child Therapist Charged with Distribution of Child Pornography

Earlier today, Renee Hoberman, a licensed social worker, was arrested on charges of distribution of child pornography.  The defendant was arraigned this afternoon at the federal courthouse in Central Islip before United States Magistrate Judge Arlene R. Lindsay on a complaint and ordered detained.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI) and Patrick Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department announced the charges.

“As alleged, Hoberman distributed heinous and disturbing child pornography, including videos showing infants being restrained and raped.  Additionally, while posing as a man, Hoberman, who is a therapist serving children, claimed to have produced child pornography and offered others the opportunity to sexually abuse children,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “Our investigation into Hoberman is ongoing, and we urge anyone with information to contact HSI’s tip line.  Together with our law enforcement partners, we will relentlessly pursue predators who victimize children and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Renee Hoberman worked in a trusted position as a therapist with children, making the allegations against her for the possession and distribution of incredibly dark and depraved child sexual abuse materials even more disturbing,” said Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker for Homeland Security Investigations in New York. “HSI is working around the clock with our partners to identify and investigate those who possess and distribute child sexual abuse imagery. Protecting children from predators is of the utmost concern to HSI and the law enforcement community. I urge the public to contact the HSI tip line with any information about this defendant.”

“This case is an example of the vital work our investigators do every day in cooperation with our dedicated partners in federal law enforcement,” said Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder. “The hard working and diligent detectives of the Nassau County Police Department will continue to work tirelessly to protect the innocent, and we will never stop fighting to bring those who victimize children to justice.”

As set forth in the complaint, between June 2024 and October 2024, Hoberman allegedly used social media messaging apps to upload digital videos depicting one or more minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including several videos of infants six months to one year of age being physically restrained and raped by an adult male, as the infants cried and frantically screamed for the duration of the videos.  As recently as on or about October 16, 2024, the defendant uploaded child pornography and engaged in multiple chats concerning child sexual molestation.  In these chats, the defendant, purporting to be a man, claimed to have multiple minor children and stated that “he” would have anal sex with the children and would punish them by getting naked, stripping the children naked, and spanking them while the other children watched.  The defendant invited another user to visit “his” family in New York to spank the children.  In addition, the defendant described sexually abusing “his” children and their friends, and then sent two videos containing child sexual abuse material, claiming that these videos depicted the user’s own children.

According to public records and as alleged in the complaint, Hoberman works as a therapist with an organization based in Melville, New York and serves children aged 0-17.

Anyone with information about sexual exploitation by the defendant is asked to contact HSI at HSI’s tip line: 1-877-4-HSI-TIP  or via HSI’s website: https://www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form.

The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, Hoberman faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.                       

This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division.  Assistant United States Attorneys James R. Simmons and Russell Noble are in charge of the prosecution.

The Defendant:

Renee Hoberman, also known as “Rina Hoberman”
Age:  36
Plainview, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-MJ-588