Home Depot Manager Sentenced to 6 Years for Child Pornography Charges

Omaha resident Samuel Hoffman, 26, has been sentenced to six years in prison for using his position as an assistant store manager at Home Depot to target teenage victims. Between May 26 and June 10, 2022, Hoffman collected cell phones from job applicants at the Home Depot near 144th Street and West Maple Road. He then created fake social media profiles and contacted them, coercing them into sending explicit photos.

Prosecutors allege that Hoffman used forensic software to collect images and videos of minors in sexually explicit situations. The case was a result of an 18-month investigation by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office and the FBI. As part of his plea deal, two counts of visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct and one count of enticement by electronic communication device were dropped.

Hoffman had been working as a district manager for Dollar General in North Carolina before being sentenced in Omaha. A Home Depot spokesperson confirmed that Hoffman was no longer employed at the company since November 2022.