RICHMOND, Va. -- A Richmond man is behind bars facing several federal charges in a child pornography case.
The FBI raided the home of a south Richmond man two weeks ago saying he was involved in intimidation, violence and the production of child pornography.
Neighbors on Troy Court told CBS 6 that when federal agents swarmed their cul-de-sac, they took away bags of evidence and computers from 34 -year-old Joshua Hitchener’s home.
Federal affidavits obtained by CBS 6 Thursday spelled out why.
“It's egregious, lascivious, certainly sexual exploitation,” said criminal defense attorney Ed Riley. “It's a young girl who was intimidated and harassed and abused. These are behaviors that are punished severely in any court, but especially federal court."
The FBI says a teenage girl was coerced into sending nude photos to the suspect. Hitchener is now facing a minimum of fifteen years in federal prison if convicted.
"Information, texts and photos that the user thinks are deleted and gone, are not, and the FBI is well trained at mirroring the image of the phone and using a couple of programs to paint the whole picture," said Riley.
It's not only alleged that Hitchener requested inappropriate photos of the teen, but the FBI claims he threatened the girl and her family if she went to authorities. In one message via the Kik app, Hitchener is accused of texting, "I promise I’m not lying! If you disappear, your family will die and you will be kidnapped."
"These kind of people are cowards,” said Riley. “They hide behind the computer screen so to speak, so he makes the threats, but those kinds of threats are rarely, rarely ever carried out"
Hitchener is at Pamunkey Regional Jail in Hanover County without bond.
