PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A registered sex offender has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, having previously pleaded guilty to charges of attempted inducement of a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity, possession with intent to view child pornography, and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor.
Mathew Hoard, 40, of Smithfield, was sentenced Nov. 13 to 120 months in federal prison to be followed by eight years of federal supervised release.
In July 2020, Hoard began communicating online and by text messaging with a person he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, but who was in fact an undercover Newport Police Department Detective. According to information presented to the court, during those communications, which lasted for more than two months, Hoard sent a sexually explicit image and sexually graphic messages, repeatedly requested that the “girl” send nude pictures of herself to Hoard. He also attempted to arrange a meeting to engage in sex.
In February 2020, while conducting an unrelated investigation, the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force learned from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual had uploaded child sexual abuse material to a social media platform. Members of the task force later determined that the upload came from an IP address utilized by Mathew Hoard. On Sept. 29, 2020, members of the ICAC Task Force executed a court-authorized search of Hoard’s residence and seized a cell phone and a laptop computer. HSI computer forensic analysts examined the devices which were found to contain videos and images of child sexual abuse. Among the images was an image exchanged between Hoard and the undercover Newport Police Department detective.
In 2011, Hoard was convicted in the State of Rhode Island for possession of child pornography, and as a result of that conviction, he was required to register as a sex offender.
HSI New England’s Providence Resident Agent in Charge office led the investigation with the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Newport Police Department. HSI New England’s Boston Cybercrime group assisted in computer forensic analysis.
HSI is a global leader in the fight against child exploitation. Last year, HSI special agents dedicated 1.2 million case hours toward investigating child exploitation. This heinous crime harms the most vulnerable in our society: our kids. As technology evolves and more people have access to the internet, children are at a greater risk than ever. HSI’s special agents and analysts around the world are dedicated to countering this threat.
Report suspected child exploitation to the HSI Tip Line at 877-4-HSI-TIP or through the CyberTipline on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's website.
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