Marysville man convicted of child pornography | News

Court documents allege that “in May 2021, Hooton produced three images of a severely autistic child under the age of 12 engaging in sexually explicit conduct.” He then shared the images with an undercover FBI agent via a free mobile instant messaging application.

Federal officials said that after a search of Hooton’s phone was initiated, agents discovered that Hooton had distributed sexually explicit images of the child victim to at least six other users of the messaging application. He also distributed at least four images of other children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

“This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” officials said. “Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey B. Hemesath and Denise N. Yasinow prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to investigate, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children online, and to identify and rescue victims.”