A 44-year-old Redwood City resident originally charged with 73 felonies for child molestation, creation and distribution of child pornography pleaded no contest to seven felony counts of lewd act with a child and is facing 40 years to life in prison, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
The man, David Hackworth, met six female victims under the age of 13 online from 2017 to 2020, 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.
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.
“It’s an excellent resolution for the case victims,” District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said. “Mr. Hackworth is a horrible sexual predator for what he did … right up there with the worst sexual predators in San Mateo County.”
A report is being completed to determine Hackworth’s sexual predator status before he is sentenced, Wagstaffe said.
Hackworth’s defense attorney Michael Hroziencik had no comment.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
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