Henrico man to serve three years on child-porn charges
A Henrico County man who downloaded graphic sexual images of children from sites being monitored by federal and state investigators will serve three years in prison.
Alan Michael Hope, 24, of the 8800 block of Three Chopt Road was convicted this year of four charges relating to child pornography. He was arrested in February.
Henrico Circuit Judge Daniel T. Balfour sentenced Hope to five years in prison on each charge yesterday, suspending all but three years.
A psychologist who treated Hope for attention-deficit disorder and other problems since Hope was 5 years old attributed Hope's actions to impulsiveness and said he has never found an underlying problem with a sexual attachment to children.
"He needs to stay on his medications," James Angster said.
But a prosecutor said tests had not been conducted showing whether there is a problem with Hope regarding future felonious sexual conduct.
"We don't know the possibilities of recidivism," said Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Robert Wood.
Hope was ordered to register as a sex offender and is barred from frequenting places catering to children.
-- Bill McKelway
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Reader Reactions
I think that anyone that looks at pictures of this nature has to be sick, but I am not so sure it should be illegal so long as they did not take the pictures, or pose in the pictures. The KKK stands for some pretty horrible things but it is not illegal to be a member. I think the authorities should spend more time finding those that develop these sites instead of those that look at them. The police must be looking at them too in order to know that these creeps are looking at them. The whole thing is sick, but should not be illegal.
VA Taxpeyer, I couldn’t agree with you more! If these sites are “being monitored by federal and state investigators”, are they being shut down as soon as they are discovered? What about the owner of the website, or the person(s) who actually distributed/posted the illegal pictures? I hope these people were prosecuted before the guy in this story. The government obviously has the ability to monitor EVERYTHING you do on the internet. If they indeed did bring down a couple child porn websites, they need to make it a big story to raise public awareness.
Where is the story detailing the punishment received by the website and the producer of the pictures? After all, he could not view it if it was not available. Let’s put these creeps behind bars.
Does ADD prevent a 25-year-old from knowing the difference between right and wrong?
I curious about things too, but if they are illegal, curiosity is where it ends.
Randy -
I can see therapy for non violent drug offenders but pedophiles should go straight to prison and throw away the key. Everyone knows it’s wrong to violate children and watching such acts is equally disturbing. And th blurb about ADD has nothing to do with it.
How about Residential Therapy instead of prison where he will learn to become a real detriment to society? His life is over after he gets that label. Is justice really being served here? Does the crime fit the punishment? He needs help not punishment.
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