On February 6, Anthony Clyde Hoffman, 29, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for production and possession of child pornography.
According to the prosecution, at the time a search warrant was executed, Hoffman possessed over 800 unique images and videos of child sex abuse material (CSAM). Further investigation revealed Hoffman produced several sexually explicit images of a toddler using his cell phone.
If the alleged facts are proven to be true, then the charges for production and possession of child pornography are appropriate. Just as children cannot legally consent to being bought and sold for sex, they cannot consent to having images of their abuse recorded and distributed. Every explicit photo or video of a child is actually evidence that the child has been a victim of sexual abuse. Accordingly, we are pleased to see Hoffman be held responsible for the unlawful and harmful production and dissemination of child sexual abuse material.
If found guilty, Hoffman’s charges carry a minimum sentence of twenty-five years and a maximum sentence of fifty years.
The CSE Institute commends the Homeland Security Investigations Wyoming Valley Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force and their partners for their efforts in conducting this investigation. We also commend the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania for their ongoing efforts in prosecuting this case.
We commend law enforcement for prioritizing the protection of minors from sexual abuse in Pennsylvania. “Children are our most precious resource in every community,” said Pike County District Attorney Raymond J. Tonkin. “The Pike County District Attorney’s Office joined the Wyoming Valley Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force to further the mission of law enforcement and prosecutors working together to protect children from predators.”
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice-launched initiative that aims to combat the commercial sexual exploitation and abuse of children nationwide. Project Safe Childhood was initiated in May of 2006 by the Department of Justice. The Department of Justice identifies the five essential components of Project Safe Childhood as building partnerships; coordinating law enforcement; training Project Safe Childhood partners; public awareness; and accountability. Through the initiative, the Department of Justice aims to coordinate and cooperate with federal, tribal, state, local, and international organizations to prevent the sexual exploitation of children. The CSE Institute commends Project Safe Childhood for these efforts to protect children from sexual exploitation.
The CSE Institute will continue to provide updates as this matter unfolds.
All views expressed herein are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law or of Villanova University.