Thomas Hill, Enticement Of A Minor & Production Of Child Pornography, Florida 2020

Tampa, Florida - A Hillsborough County man has been sentenced to 19 years in federal prison for his role in the enticement of a minor and the production of child pornography.

According to court documents, Thomas Hill, 41, began communicating online with a 17-year-old girl in Georgia in November 2018. At Hill’s direction, the girl produced pornographic images of herself and transmitted them to Hill in Tampa via Skype messenger.

In online chats, Hill instructed the victim to use various objects to penetrate herself, to refer to herself as his slave, and to address him as “master.” Hill and the victim made plans for Hill to take the victim from her home in Georgia so she could live with him and told the victim that he would physically and sexually abuse her and their future offspring.

In early December 2018, Hill drove to Georgia, picked up the victim without her parents’ knowledge or consent, and brought her back to Tampa to live with him. Once in Tampa, Hill forced the victim to engage in non-consensual sex acts. Hill also made the victim perform unpaid menial labor at his house and restricted her ability to leave the residence or communicate with outsiders.

After living with Hill for several weeks, the victim fled Hill’s home and was discovered by local law enforcement running down the street, crying for help.

“The facts of this case are beyond disturbing. Mr. Hill forced his young victim to commit horrific and unspeakable acts,” said Michael F. McPherson, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Tampa Division. “These investigations are tough to work and I am proud of the dedicated special agents who do the job to protect our children from sexual predators.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich.

This case 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.

Hill pleaded guilty on January 7, 2020, and was sentenced to 19 years in federal prison for enticement of a minor and production of child pornography.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/hillsborough-county-man-sentenced-19-years-enticement-minor-and-production-child