Honk News (Redwood, CA) – A 45-year-old resident of Redwood City, who entered a no-contest plea to seven felony charges involving lewd acts with a child, received a sentence of 40 years to life in prison on February 21, according to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.
David Hackworth, a man who previously entered a no-contest plea, was involved in a disturbing case where he interacted with six female victims under the age of 13 online between 2017 and 2020. He manipulated these children into engaging in inappropriate acts on video, capturing screenshots and distributing the videos to other individuals with similar predatory interests, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s office.
A family member became the seventh victim, having been physically assaulted by Hackworth, according to the DA’s Office.
Hackworth, initially facing 73 felony charges related to child molestation and child pornography, sought to retract his plea in 2024, but his request was denied by the court. He ultimately agreed to the plea deal of 40 years to life.
“He admitted the conduct, apologized for the conduct and that’s significant. He regretted that he did it but that’s looking backwards,” Wagstaffe said. “There were multiple victims, and he certainly got what he deserved.”
The situation was initially revealed by the authorities in Colorado, who alerted the Sheriff’s Office. The District Attorney’s Office reported that a search warrant executed at his home uncovered thousands of images of child pornography.