STATESVILLE, N.C. — A former Wells Fargo employee was convicted by a federal jury in Statesville, N.C. on Friday for producing child pornography on his company-owned cell phone.
Federal authorities say 50-year-old Michael Hoover of Wilkesboro, N.C. is guilty on two counts of producing child porn and one count of possession of child porn.
Hoover produced child porn between June 2018 and August 2019, on two different occasions, by getting two minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct, according to filed court documents.
According to the witness testimony, the child pornography was found on Hoover’s work cell phone and depicted two minor boys, as young as 12-years-old, engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Hoover has since been remanded into federal custody, and officials say a sentencing date has not yet been set.
Officials say the possession of child porn carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a $250,000 fine, and the charge for production of child porn carries a mandatory sentence of 15 years and a $250,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, William Stetzer, thanks the HSI, SBI, and the Wilke’s County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation efforts.
Officials say this case was brought forward as part of Project Safe Childhood, which is a nationwide initiative to fight the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
