A Hickory, North Carolina man has been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell handed down a 121-month sentence to Luke Andrew Hemond, age 64, according to an announcement from Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Hemond will also be subject to lifetime court supervision following his release.
Court documents and statements at the sentencing indicate that Hemond was on probation for a previous conviction of attempted sexual assault while armed in Arizona. On March 20, 2024, North Carolina probation officers and law enforcement searched Hemond’s home as part of routine checks for compliance with probation and sex offender registry requirements. During the search, authorities found an SD card in his bedroom containing images depicting the sexual assault of minors. After obtaining a search warrant, law enforcement seized all electronic devices from the residence. A forensic review revealed thousands of images showing nude children, children being sexually abused, and at least one image involving child bondage.
Hemond pleaded guilty on May 27, 2025 to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor and a minor under the age of 12. He remains in federal custody and will be transferred to a federal Bureau of Prisons facility once designated.
Russ Ferguson expressed appreciation for the agencies involved in investigating the case: "Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction’s Division of Community Supervision, the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, the Hickory Police Department and the Long View Police Department Office." Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Spaugh prosecuted the case.
The 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 by coordinating federal, state and local resources to investigate and prosecute offenders and identify victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
