In Midland today, a federal judge sentenced former Monahans police officer Marshal Lacy Hobbs to 87 months in federal prison on a child pornography charge, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash and Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge David Counts ordered that Hobbs, age 36 of Andrews, TX, pay a $30,000 fine; a $5,000 assessment under the Amy and Vicky Child Pornography Victim Restitution Improvement Act; and, a $5,000 assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. Judge Counts also ordered that Hobbs be placed on supervised release for a period of five years after completing his prison term. Hobbs, who had been on bond during this litigation, was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following today’s hearing in order to begin serving his prison term.
On Dec. 19, 2019, Hobbs pleaded guilty to one count receipt of child pornography. Court records reveal that in November 2019, Hobbs knowingly engaged in social media communications on his cell phone with a female he knew to be under 18 and that he received multiple videos and images of that minor female engaged in sexually explicit activity.
“When an officer who has sworn to protect his community instead decides to target a child for exploitation, we will be relentless in seeking justice. I am pleased with the sentence imposed today," stated U.S. Attorney Bash.
The Texas Rangers investigated this case along with the Andrews Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane A. Chriesman prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. ##
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
