Long Island Therapist Confesses to Distributing Child Abuse Material

A licensed social worker from Plainview has admitted to sharing disturbing videos and images depicting child sexual abuse, including the rape of infants, online. Renee Hoberman, 36, pleaded guilty in federal court to distributing child pornography via the social media platform Kik.

Prosecutors revealed that Hoberman took pleasure in the vile content, sharing it while employed as a child therapist in Melville. Investigators uncovered her involvement after receiving tips about her activity on Kik, where she also sought online interactions in chat rooms. Under various aliases, she discussed and depicted sexual offenses against children, claiming they involved her own fictional family members.

Among the videos she shared was a distressing clip showing a baby, estimated to be under one year old, being violently raped by an adult male. Hoberman also uploaded videos depicting abuse, falsely claiming they involved her own children. She engaged in conversations claiming she would punish children by spanking, stripping, and engaging in anal sex with them.

Authorities discovered child abuse materials stored on her phone, along with her admission that she had a preference for infants to age three and favored violent depictions. Hoberman also convinced a criminal to visit her fake family in New York to carry out abuse.

Federal officials summarized the gravity of her crimes, stating, “The defendant… admitted to distributing extremely vile and unthinkable videos depicting the horrific sexual abuse of babies. These crimes should outrage every decent person.” Hoberman faces a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison.