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Press Release

Dauphin County Man Pleads Guilty To Federal Charges Of Receipt Of Child Pornography

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a Halifax man pled guilty before U.S. District Court Judge William W. Caldwell, to a two count felony information, charging him with receipt of images depicting the sexual exploitation of children.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, David Allen Hoffman, age 68, received images depicting the sexual abuse of children from an international company.  After obtaining a warrant, federal law enforcement officers searched the defendant’s home in August 2016 and located hundreds of images and movies containing child pornography Hoffman received in 2011. 

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daryl Bloom. 

This case was brought as 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 the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit  www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit  www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. 

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The maximum penalty under federal law for Counts 1 and 2 is 20 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine.   Counts 1 and 2 both carry a mandatory term of imprisonment of 5 years’ imprisonment.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

 

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Updated September 29, 2016

Topic
Project Safe Childhood