Centre County Man Accused of Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

A Centre County man is facing felony charges after investigators said they found child sexual abuse material on his computer.

The state police Computer Crimes Unit received a tip from Microsoft Bing about a sexual photo of a prepubescent girl uploaded from an IP address that investigators traced to the College Township residence of David E. Hoover, 55, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed on Thursday.

When state troopers executed a search warrant at the home, Hoover, the only person who lives there, said he had never come across child pornography and that none would be found on any of his devices, police wrote.

A forensic analysis of Hoover’s computer allegedly uncovered at least five sexual images of children on a hard drive. The material was found in locations labeled “Favorite Babies_Teen_Porn_files” and “Pedo CP_files,” according to the affidavit.

Hoover is charged with five felony counts of child sexual abuse material and one felony count of criminal use of a communication facility.

He was preliminarily arraigned on Friday morning by District Judge Casey McClain, who set unsecured bail at $15,000.

Hoover waived his preliminary hearing, according to court records, and a formal arraignment date has not yet been scheduled.