WHITE PLAINS – A former
West Point cadet has been sentenced in federal court to 97 months in prison
for receipt, distribution and possession of child pornography.
Ricky Patrick Hester, 25, was sentenced on Wednesday.
On December 18, 2013 Hester was interviewed by federal agents with Homeland
Security Investigations and he admitted that he had used his Yahoo! Email
account to send child pornography, that his preference was for boys as
young as four years old, and that he had used Dropbox to trade child pornography
with others, and that he stored the images on his cell phone.
Hester’s cell phone was seized by agents on December 18, 2013 during
a search of his West Point dorm room. It contained some 1,200 images and
videos of children engaged in sexual activity.
Evidence at trial included approximately 100 emails sent or received by
Hester. In many of them, he requested videos and images of “kids
being forced to do stuff, “boys being tied up and peed on,”
and “man boy hardcore.” In several emails, he indicated a
preference for boys ages four to 10 years old.
Hester entered West Point as a cadet in August 2009. He took a sabbatical
from August 2011 through August 2012 and returned in the fall of 2012.
At the time of his arrest, on December 19, 2013, he was one semester away
from graduation.
Hester, 25, lived in Granger, Indiana, from his arrest until his conviction.
He was remanded following his conviction.
