Robin Christopher Hildred, a man from Raleigh, North Carolina, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after it came out that he was responsible for taking explicit photos of his daughter — who was just 20 months old at the time — and even sharing them online with some of his friends.
Hildred, 47, was reportedly involved in a group chat where he regularly posted photos of his daughter, although nobody reported him for quite some time.
Investigators were also able to find a large volume of child pornography on the man’s computer, leading to an even harsher sentence for him.
Court documents revealed the following items were found: 2,299 image files and 12 video files of child pornography all dated from December 2017 to April 2018.
The man was hit a long list of charges including first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, second-degree exploitation of a minor and sexual offense with a child. He will be able to get out of prison at 77 at the earliest.
According to US District Judge James C. Dever, III, Hildred is facing a lifetime of supervised release once he is freed from prison.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr, US Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, issued a statement praising the hefty sentencing: “Robin Christopher Hildred is a predator who victimized countless children through his distribution and possession of child pornography. But, perhaps even worse, he preyed upon his own vulnerable daughter. The man who should have been caring for and protecting her, exploit her in the most disgusting and tragic way.”
Higdon added: “The sentence ensures he cannot victimize any more children for the next 30 years.”
The man was caught in a trap set by investigators who were monitoring online chat rooms specifically set up for purposes of child pornography.
The “honeypot” eventually drew their attention to the suspect, after he was recorded expressing interest in infants in a sexual manner in the chat room.
From there, it did not take long for police to figure out his identity and launch an investigation into him.
It took a while to gather all the necessary information to arrest and convict him, but the case has now been closed successfully. Hildred was arrested in November 2018.
The man’s family has not offered any comments and has been avoiding the public’s eye for the time being.
