Clayton man receives 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to enticing a minor for sex
A Clayton man was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty earlier this year to using the internet to solicit pornographic images from a minor.
Dennis M. Hogan, 60, was arrested in April 2018 and charged by a grand jury with multiple criminal counts tied to sexual solicitation of girls in the Philippines. According to court records, Hogan paid one 16-year-old girl $19 in American money in exchange for pornographic photos he requested via Facebook Messenger. He also traveled to the Philippines and met the girls, whom he knew were underage, for sex, according to court records.
Hogan was jailed in January while his case was pending after U.S. Marshals alleged he violated conditions of his release by continuing to access the internet at his home to contact his son. Prosecutors also alleged that he had attempted to obtain a fake Idaho driver’s license prior to his incarceration. He is in custody of the Spokane County Jail, according to jail records.
Hogan had requested a 10-year prison sentence through his defense attorney. Friends and family noted that he had performed philanthropic work in the Philippines, including purchasing washing machines and computers for several people he befriended via social media.
Bevan Maxey, Hogan’s defense attorney, said the sentence showed “how disastrous the ramifications can be when people make life-changing mistakes, even though they tried to live a well-rounded, productive life.”
Upon release, Hogan will be under lifetime supervision by federal authorities and must register as a sex offender, according to the terms of the plea agreement.
William D. Hyslop, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, said in a news release that the prosecution of Hogan reflected an effort to “protect all children, not just American kids or those who live in Eastern Washington.”
“The Internet has largely erased state, national, and international boundaries when it comes to adults who seek out children for sex,” Hyslop said in the release. “If predators in the Eastern District use the Internet to abuse children anywhere, they should know that federal agents are actively looking for them.”