Fredericksburg man Chad Michael Lehofer, 37, has been handed a 19-year prison sentence and a lifetime of supervised release for producing and possessing child sexual abuse material.
Lehofer’s sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Nachmanoff after a lengthy investigation into the man’s online activities.
According to court documents, Lehofer repeatedly engaged in sexually explicit discussions with a minor online and enticed and coerced the minor to produce sexually explicit pictures and videos and send them to Lehofer. After the minor tried to break off contact with him, Lehofer pretended to be a different person and continued to communicate with the minor online.
Lehofer sent threatening messages to the minor, telling the minor that if the minor did not send him sexually explicit videos, he would expose the minor to others, including the minor’s mother and friends. Lehofer claimed to be watching the minor’s house and would send the minor messages indicating he knew the minor’s location and he would be waiting at the minor’s home.
In response to these threats, the minor produced a sexually explicit video and sent it to Lehofer. Law enforcement later discovered that Lehofer’s phone contained numerous images and videos of child sexual abuse material involving prepubescent minors.
Lehofer was previously convicted in Connecticut in 2006 for state offenses involving his sexual abuse of two minors. The case against Lehofer was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zoe Bedell and Lauren Halper, as well as Trial Attorney Eduardo Palomo from the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, prosecuted the case. The public is encouraged to report any incidents of online sexual exploitation by calling 1-800-843-5678 or submitting a report at report.cybertip.org.
Related Federal Cases
- Adam Salgado Jr., Possession of Child Sex Abuse Images, CT, 2024 · Texas
- Wallingford Woman Admits to Producing Child Pornography · Virginia
- U.S. Navy Sailor Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Production · North Carolina
- Holt Parker Sentenced for Child Pornography Possession · West Virginia
- Michael A. Petro Sentenced for Gun Possession on Appalachian Trail · Texas
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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