Renee Hoberman, a 37-year-old Long Island child therapist from Plainview, has pleaded guilty in federal court in Central Islip to serious charges of receipt and distribution of child pornography.

During a hearing before U.S. District Judge, Joanna Seybert, Hoberman admitted that on June 7, 2024, she used an application to send another person a sexually explicit video featuring children. She has been in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since her arrest in October.

Prosecutors outlined the disturbing scope of Hoberman's criminal activities, stating that between June and October, she extensively used social media to upload videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Beyond merely uploading content, Hoberman also actively participated in numerous online chats focused on child sexual abuse. A particularly egregious aspect of her crimes involved her posing as an adult male online, boasting about sexually abusing his own children.

In this guise, she sent two videos that she presented as the man sexually abusing children and even invited others to travel to New York to engage in the abuse themselves.

Hoberman, who is also known by the first name Rina, worked as a licensed social worker and therapist atLifeStance Health in Melville. There, she advertised her services, stating she worked with children up to age 17.

Her professional background includes a bachelor's degree in sociology from 2011 and a master's in social work from 2015, followed by receiving her license as a master social worker in October 2015. She reportedly had experience working with children under 12 and completed internships in elementary schools, primarily conducting her work remotely prior to her arrest.

The legal consequences for Hoberman are substantial. She faces a minimum prison sentence of 5 years and a maximum of 20 years. Judge Seybert has scheduled Hoberman's sentencing for November 18.

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District, Joseph Nocella Jr., strongly condemned Hoberman's actions, remarking, "The defendant, a licensed social worker, admitted to distributing extremely vile and unthinkable videos depicting the horrific sexual abuse of babies. The defendant’s crimes should outrage and offend every decent member of our society."

Hoberman's arrest on October 23 was a collaborative effort by Homeland Security Investigations and Nassau police. Her prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice.

This program specifically targets child sexual exploitation and abuse across the country, highlighting the federal government's commitment to aggressively pursuing these types of offenses.