Office of the Attorney General
Kenton County Man Arrested on Child Pornography Charges Following Attorney General's Investigation

Attorney General Jack Conway today announced the arrest of a Kenton County man for possession and distribution of child pornography. The Kenton County Sheriff's Department arrested 24-year-old Ryan Mathew Hoff last night on one count of possession of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor and one count of distribution of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor. Both are Class D felonies.

The charges stem from an undercover investigation by General Conway's Cybercrimes Unit that began on August 13, 2012. General Conway's Cybercrimes investigators executed a search warrant at Hoff's Independence, Ky. residence on September 6, 2012, with the assistance of Kentucky State Police. A forensic exam of computers seized from the residence identified more than 30,000 images and videos of suspected child sexual abuse.

Hoff entered a not guilty plea at his arraignment this morning in Kenton District Court. He was lodged in the Kenton County Detention Center in lieu of $5,000 cash bond. Prosecution of this case is being handled by the office of Rob Sanders, Commonwealth's Attorney for the 16th Judicial Circuit, representing Kenton County.

Since its creation in June of 2008, General Conway's Cybercrimes Unit has launched nearly 300 child pornography investigations and seized approximately 350,000 child pornographic images and videos from the Internet. The unit is also a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.

For additional information on cybersafety in Kentucky, visit General Conway's Cybersafety Page at http://ag.ky.gov/cybersafety/ . To report cyber abuse, visit the CyberTipline or call 1-800-843-5678.