Case against former deputy moved to March
NEW CUMBERLAND — The felony case against a former Hancock County sheriff’s deputy accused of possessing child pornography won’t be back in court until March.
Special Magistrate Shannon N. Price has rescheduled the next court appearance for Patrick Hoder to be held at 2 p.m. March 30 in Hancock County Magistrate’s Court after continuing a hearing which had been scheduled for last week.
Hoder was arrested in August after an investigation by West Virginia State Police.
He has remained out on $50,000 bond on one count of distribution or exhibition of material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct (more than 600 images.)
A special prosecutor, Gail Kahle, has been assigned as the visiting special prosecutor.
Price, a magistrate in Brooke County, and Kahle, an assistant prosecutor in Ohio County, were assigned to the case because of potential conflicts of interest with Hancock County officials.
Hancock County Sheriff Scott Gittings had placed Hoder on administrative leave once he learned about the initial probe into Hoder, who had been a longtime K-9 handler as well as overseeing some of the office’s community outreach programs. His employment with the sheriff’s department was terminated once charges were filed.
If convicted, Hoder faces up to 10 years in prison and $25,000 in fines.