A shocking case of a child therapist from Long Island has come to light, as Renee “Rina” Hoberman was sentenced to seven years in prison for distributing revolting child pornography online. The 36-year-old therapist was described by prosecutors as a vile predator who derived pleasure from the helpless screams of babies in disturbing videos she shared.
Hoberman, a licensed social worker from Plainview, shared more than 100 images and videos of young toddlers and even newborns being sexually abused on her devices and social media accounts. The images were found to be stomach-churning and deeply disturbing, involving the sexual abuse of innocent children.
The therapist pleaded guilty in June to distributing child porn videos on the social media app Kik while working as a therapist with children 17 years old and younger. Despite her defense attorney revealing her own history of being abandoned and sexually abused as a child, the judge handed down a seven-year sentence, emphasizing the severity of her crimes.
During the sentencing hearing, Hoberman apologized to her family and the victims in the videos, acknowledging that her past trauma was no excuse for her actions. Prosecutors detailed one particularly disturbing video shared by Hoberman, showing a baby between 6 months and 1 year old being held down and raped by an adult man.
In addition to distributing child pornography, Hoberman also engaged in perverted online chat rooms where she pretended to be the father of several children and claimed to have sexually abused them. Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge Alfonso expressed shock at the depravity of Hoberman’s crimes, highlighting the betrayal of public trust and the violation of innocent lives.
The judge, Joanna Seybert, emphasized the need for accountability and deterrence, stating that jail time was necessary in this case. Hoberman, who has been sober for 16 months after struggling with drug addiction, will serve her seven-year sentence for the heinous crimes she committed while entrusted with the care of vulnerable children. The sentencing aims to bring justice to the Long Island community and offer hope for healing to the traumatized victims.
