U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha | U.S. Department of Justice
A registered sex offender from Smithfield, Rhode Island, has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor and child pornography charges. Mathew Hoard, 40, received his sentence from U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy and will also serve eight years of federal supervised release.
Hoard was caught in July 2020 when he began communicating online with an undercover Newport Police Department detective posing as a 14-year-old girl. Over two months, Hoard sent sexually explicit content and attempted to arrange a meeting for sexual activity.
In February 2020, the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force discovered that Hoard had uploaded child pornography to a social media platform. A subsequent search of his residence revealed devices containing child pornography images and videos.
Hoard's criminal history includes a 2011 conviction for possession of child pornography in Rhode Island, which required him to register as a sex offender.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise M. Barton and Julie M. White under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/psc
