[ad_1] WARNING: Distressing contentA federal judge in the US has asked for full custody of his two young daughters after his socialite ex-wife was c
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WARNING: Distressing content
A federal judge in the US has asked for full custody of his two young daughters after his socialite ex-wife was charged with distribution of child pornography and attempted child sex trafficking of an eight-year-old girl.
Eleanor Hunton Hoppe, 45, who comes from a prestigious law family in Richmond, was caught in an FBI sting last month after sending an undercover agent a 30-second video containing explicit child sexual abuse, along with messages about other sickening paedophile activities, the NY Post reports.
She was arrested after agreeing to meet the agent with his fictitious eight-year-old daughter at a hotel in Warrenton, Virginia, where she allegedly planned to abuse the girl.
Ms Hoppe’s ex-husband, Joel Hoppe, a magistrate judge in the Western District of Virginia, has since filed for full custody of their daughters, ages 10 and 12, according to documents filed to the Albemarle Circuit Court on March 23.
The exes had previously agreed to joint custody following their divorce in 2021, which took place after Joel accused his then-wife of looking for sex with other men and women.
In his latest court filing, Mr Hoppe wrote, “The criminal charges, the facts underlying the charges, and the consequences of the charges constitute a material change in circumstances regarding custody, visitation, spousal support and child support.”
Representatives for Eleanor and Joel did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Ms Hoppe — whose family led South Carolina’s second-largest law firm of Hunton, Andrew, Kurth — was taken into custody on March 16 after she began chatting with the undercover agent, who was based in Washington DC.
Officials said Ms Hoppe reached out to the agent about “taboo parenting”, directing him to a social media app that encrypts messages.
The messages, which appear to begin on February 23, show that Ms Hoppe allegedly asked for details about how the agent was supposedly abusing his daughter.
Officials allege that Ms Hoppe has shown interest in travelling to Washington to help the man abuse the fictitious child, and agreed to meet him at a hotel on March 12.
“I can’t wait and then of course, putting her to bed and waking her up to do a few extra things will be so fun,” Ms Hoppe wrote to the agent.
Prior to the meeting, Ms Hoppe also told the agent that she had a pink “big girl robe” ready for the child as she also sent him the child porn video.
After being arrested, Ms Hoppe claimed that she was there to find and rescue the undercover agent’s daughter, according to court records.
Police, however, conducted a search of her car and found the pink silk robe, silk underwear and a pink child’s bag containing lubricant.
Ms Hoppe worked in special events with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge, according to the Daily Progress. The executive director there told the outlet that she had passed a background check and left the organisation three years ago.
Her LinkedIn also noted that she worked for two years as a victim’s advocate in the office of the Richmond commonwealth’s lawyer about 20 years ago.
Records show Ms Hoppe also tried to levy her family’s reputation in a failed bid to win her pre-trial release from the DC Central Detention Facility.
She was charged with distributing child porn, enticement of a minor and attempted transportation of a minor with attempt to engage in sexual activity.
Ms Hoppe pleaded not guilty and faces a minimum of 15 years if convicted.
This article originally appeared on NY Post and was reproduced with permission
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