A Manchester man, Christopher Hodgeman, 33, has been sentenced to 12 months in federal prison for failing to register as a sex offender. U.S. District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro also imposed 15 years of supervised release on Hodgeman, following his guilty plea in November 2024 to one count of failure to register his online identifiers.
Hodgeman's legal troubles began when he pleaded guilty on April 13, 2021, to possession of child sexual abuse material. This conviction mandated that he register as a sex offender and report any internet or online identifiers, including screen names or user profiles on social media accounts.
In February 2023, Manchester police received a tip about an individual suspected of exchanging sexually explicit chats via Xbox with a minor. Authorities identified Hodgeman as the suspect and discovered he had used an unregistered online account for these interactions. Further investigation revealed at least one additional online account not reported in his sex offender registration paperwork.
Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack emphasized the importance of prosecuting violations of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, stating: “Prosecuting violations of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act is critical in our effort to keep the most vulnerable members of our community safe.” He added that the sentence demonstrates the office's commitment to public protection and accountability for those evading registration requirements.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the Manchester Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew T. Hunter and Kasey Weiland leading the prosecution.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project brings together federal, state, and local resources to apprehend individuals exploiting children and rescue victims.
