A 45-year-old Redwood City resident who pleaded no contest to seven felony counts of lewd acts with a child was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison on Feb. 21, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.
The man, David Hackworth, originally pleaded no contest to meeting six female victims under the age of 13 online from 2017-20, convincing the children to touch themselves on video, taking screenshots and sharing the videos with other pedophiles, the San Mateo County District Attorney’s office said.
The seventh victim, a family member, was physically molested by Hackworth, the DA’s Office said.
Hackworth, who was originally charged with 73 felonies for child molestation and child pornography, attempted to withdraw his plea in 2024, which was rejected by a judge. He eventually accepted the plea offer of 40 years to life.
“He admitted the conduct, apologized for the conduct and that's significant. He regretted that he did it but that’s looking backwards,” Wagstaffe said. “There were multiple victims, and he certainly got what he deserved.”
The case was originally uncovered by the Colorado police, who notified the Sheriff’s Office. A warrant for his residence revealed thousands of child pornography images, the DA’s Office said.
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