FOR FURTHERINFORMATION CONTACT

AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or

MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885  
May 2, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                  

BALTIMORE MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO EXPLOITING A MINOR TO PRODUCE CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

Baltimore, Maryland - Roy Edward Hoover, Jr., age 38, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty today to sexual exploitation of a minor to produce child pornography, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to his plea agreement, between September 2004 and May 2007, Hoover sexually assaulted a minor female victim, beginning when she was approximately 14 years old. Hoover took digital photographs of the assaults which he then downloaded to his computer. The assaults took place at Hoover’s home, when the victim was in his care.

Hoover faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, and a maximum of 20 years in prison followed by supervised release for life. U.S. District Judge Andre M. Davis has scheduled sentencing for July 11, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. Hoover remains detained on related state charges.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Details about Maryland’s program are available at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/md/Safe-Childhood/index.html.