The former coach of a youth hockey team in Northern Virginia was sentenced Friday to more than four years in prison after he pleaded guilty to child pornography charges and computer solicitation of a juvenile.
Timothy Bodenheimer, 28, was sentenced to 50 months in prison and 20 years on active probation, the Virginia Office of the Attorney General said.
He pleaded guilty in September to using a computer to solicit a minor, distribution of child pornography and eight counts of possession of child porn. He was sentenced by Fairfax County Judge Jan Brodie.
Bodenheimer was an assistant coach to a Washington Little Capitals travel ice hockey team of 13- and 14-year-olds. The team played in Kettler Ice Arena in Arlington. He also taught private lessons. Bodenheimer was once a standout player in the program himself and played collegiate hockey.
An investigation into his activities began when the father of a middle school boy contacted police after his son was solicited online. The parents of several middle-school boys contacted authorities to report that a suspicious person had approached their sons through Instagram and Snapchat.
An undercover agent with the regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force posed as a 12-year-old boy and began communicating with Bodenheimer.
The coach sent images of child pornography and requested nude photos in return. When investigators executed search warrants at the Fairfax Station home of Bodenheimer's parents and at a home in Loudoun County, they found 7,008 photos or videos of child pornography on Bodenheimer's electronic devices.
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Bodenheimer's attorney previously said his client had never touched a child.
"I don't believe there is any evidence that Mr. Bodenheimer actually had any contact with any minor child," Peter Greenspun said."This is all computer interaction, computer chat, computer fantasy-type activities."
Bodenheimer has been jailed since his arrest in January 2015.
Lawyers from the Office of Attorney General Mark Herring assisted with the case.
"Those who rob children of their innocence through sexual solicitation and distribution and ownership of child pornography need to know that with every click on a photo of an exploited child, that child is re-victimized and they are forced to relive trauma," Herring said in a statement. "I am pleased that justice has been served, and grateful for the collaboration between my office and the police officers who work tirelessly to track down these offenders."
