In a disturbing case of child exploitation, Joseph Hornof, 41, of Blackfoot, has been sentenced to 24 years in federal prison for his role in distributing and possessing child pornography.
Hornof was convicted of two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography by a federal jury sitting in Pocatello after a three-day trial in January 2023.
As part of the investigation, law enforcement discovered that Hornof used the Kik messenger application to communicate with an undercover officer in North Carolina, sharing videos and images of child pornography. He also directed the officer to join a social media group called ‘pedophilia’ that Hornof administered, where he distributed 24 videos of child pornography to other members.
After serving a search warrant at Hornof’s residence in Blackfoot, officers found additional images of child pornography on his laptop and cellphone. The total number of images seized is unknown, but it is clear that Hornof was actively engaged in the distribution and possession of child pornography.
Hornof faced a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence due to a prior sex offense against a child from 2009 in Bannock County.
U.S. Chief District Judge David C. Nye also sentenced Hornof to 15 years of supervised release, which will commence upon completion of his prison sentence. He was ordered to pay $8,000 in restitution to the victims in the images that he possessed and distributed.
U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit commended the cooperative efforts of the Idaho Falls Police Department, Idaho ICAC Task Force, Boone North Carolina Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Blackadar and John Shirts prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal 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.
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Key Facts
- State: Idaho
- Category: Sex Crimes,Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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