Plea Involved Explicit Recordings

Hobbie Pleads Guilty

To Exploiting 3 Girls

By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

COOPERSTOWN – Former Cooperstown Central School gym teacher Justin Hobbie pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of a child, nine months after the Department of Homeland Security raided his home and found child pornography on his computer in December 2018, United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith announced in a release.

In pleading guilty, Hobbie, 41, Springfield Center admitted that from 2015 to 2018, he persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced three girls under the age of 16 to transmit live depictions of sexually explicit activity to him. Hobbie then recorded them so he could look at them again, according to the U.S. attorney.

Hobbie was a gym and health teacher in Cooperstown until his arrest in December 2018.

Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy will sentence Hobbie on Dec. 19. Hobbie faces at least 15 years in prison on each count, with a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison per count. The term of imprisonment for each count can run concurrent or consecutive to the term of imprisonment for other counts, at the discretion of the Court. Hobbie will be required to serve a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, following his term of imprisonment. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.

This case was investigated by HSI Albany with assistance from the New York State Police Computer Crimes Unit, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown.