United States v. Hodge, No. 12-2458 (7th Cir. 2013)
Annotate this CaseEvansville police received a tip that Hodge had sent text messages containing sexually explicit images of Hodge and a child. Under questioning, Hodge identified himself in the images. Police seized a computer and data storage equipment from his home and found many images of the child, whom Hodge identified as his nine-year-old niece, engaged in sexual and sadistic acts with Hodge and Hodge’s wife. Hodge was indicted on seven counts of production of sexually explicit material involving a minor, 18 U.S.C. 2251(a) and (e), two counts of conspiracy, 18 U.S.C. 2251(a), and two counts of distribution, 18 U.S.C. 2252(a)(1). Hodge’s wife and another were also indicted. Hodge entered a guilty plea. During his sentencing hearing, Hodge offered testimony in mitigation from psychiatrist Cady. The district court discussed some of Cady’s findings in explaining the sentence, but neglected to mention other findings, most notably contentions that Hodge’s history of sexual and psychological abuse as a child contributed to his decision to commit his offenses and that Hodge was unlikely to reoffend. The Seventh Circuit upheld the sentence of 1380 months’ imprisonment, stating that Hodge’s arguments would reduce sentencing to a “checklist.”
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