Spring Lake Man Sentenced to More Than 13 Years for Distribution of Child Pornography

 WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Spring Lake man was sentenced today to 160 months in prison for Distribution of Child Pornography.

According to court documents, agents with the Department of Homeland Security received a cyber tip regarding suspected child pornography that had been uploaded to Kik, a social media messaging app, from the address at which Donald Gregory Hoggard, 40, lived.  A search warrant was executed at the residence on October 8, 2019.  Hoggard was present and admitted that he had an account with Kik.  Hoggard admitted to posting and trading child pornography images on that social media app and admitted to having a Dropbox account which contained child sexual exploitation images and videos.  A forensic analysis was performed on Hoggard’s digital devices and Dropbox account.  Hoggard had hundreds of images and videos containing child pornography, some of which included the sexual abuse of infants or toddlers.

At the time of the execution of the search warrant, Hoggard was attending Fayetteville State University and was majoring in Education.  He had been a substitute teacher in Cumberland County from 2016-2018.

“Every image, every depiction of child exploitation victimizes a vulnerable child.  These are among the most despicable and base crimes we are tasked with prosecuting.  But we take on these matters to protect these vulnerable victims and to bring these predators to justice,” said the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr.  “We are grateful for the sentence imposed by the Court today.  And I would like to commend the dedicated law enforcement officers at the federal, state, and local level who have partnered to achieve today’s results.  We are all safer because of their commitment to this work.”

“This sentencing not only removes a serial predator from our community, it also sends a message to others engaged in this filth that we are serious about finding, arresting and prosecuting them,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Ronnie Martinez, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in North Carolina. “Thanks to some hard work and the great partnerships we have with our law enforcement and community partners, this community can rest easier knowing this monster is no longer free.”

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. Homeland Security Investigations, Harnett County Sheriff’s Office, Cary Police Department, State Bureau of Investigation and United States Marshals investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson, AUSA  prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00247-M-1.