Female NY Child Therapist Charged with Distributing Pornographic Images of Babies | Crime Alert 3PM 06.20.25

A child therapist from Melville has been accused of sharing sexually explicit videos involving infants on social media and allegedly making inappropriate references to "hands-on touching" in online chat rooms. Nicole Partin Reporting. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Alart hourly update breaking crime news Now, I'm Nicole Parton.
In New York, child therapist has been accused of sharing
sexually explicit videos involving infants on social media and allegedly
making inappropriate references to quote hands on touching in online
chat rooms. Renee Hoberman, thirty six, was taken into custody

(00:22):
in order to be held without bail during her appearance
in federal court. Following her arrest, authorities conducted a search
of her home in plane View, seizing multiple electronic devices,
including an iPhone. It's shocking, said a neighbor. There are
so many kids on our block, all wonderful kids, so
hearing something like this makes you realize you never know

(00:43):
what's happening behind closed doors. According to law enforcement, Hoberman's
iPhone contained numerous videos depicting child sexual abuse, all hidden
in a folder, as well as sexual images of miners
that she allegedly shared through a Telegram account. Known by
her first name, Rena Hoberman has been a part time

(01:04):
therapist at LifeStance Health in Melville since twenty twenty two,
where she marketed her services to children under the age
of seventeen. She has since been dismissed from her position.
A representative from Lifeestance Health issued a statement saying we
have been informed that Renee Hoberman, a part time provider

(01:25):
at our Melville, New York office, has been arrested on
charges of distributing child pornography. We take the situation with
seriousness and have terminated her employment. Hoberman previously offered youth
counseling services at South Oaks Hospital. She has also worked
in elementary schools and mental health clinics before becoming a

(01:45):
licensed social worker. According to her biography on Lifeestance website,
she is accused of using messaging apps to deliver sexually
abusive images of miners, including videos showing a man assaulting
babies under the age of one. I haven't seen her
since she was a little girl, and now she's grown up.

(02:07):
She's someone I don't recognize, said a friend. Barren Peace,
the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York,
along with William Walker, Special Agent in charge of Homeland
Security Investigations, and Patrick Ryder, Commissioner of the Nassau County
Police Department, announced the charges against Hoberman. As alleged Hoberman

(02:27):
distributed horrific and troubling child pornography, including videos of infants
being restrained and subjected to sexual assault. Furthermore, posing as
a male, Hoberman, a therapist for children, claimed to have
produced child pornography and invited others to engage in the
sexual abuse of miners, stated the US Attorney Peace. Our

(02:49):
investigation into Hoberman is ongoing, and we encourage anyone with
information to reach out to hsi's tip line. In collaboration
with our law enforcement partners, we will work tirelessly to
pursue those who exploit our children. If found guilty, Hoberman
could face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.

(03:09):
Anyone with information regarding potential sexual exploitation involving the defendant
is urged to contact HSI on their tip line at
eight sixty six three four seven two four two three
for crime and Justice news. After this, local authorities have

(03:32):
confirmed that a human lead bone discovered on May fourteen
near Taylor Swift's Rhode Island residence belongs to Eric Ween,
a thirty one year old man from Massachusetts who had
been reported missing since April. His car was found abandoned
on ocean Avenue in South Kingstown prior to his disappearance.
The remains were located in the affluent Watch Hill area,

(03:55):
and while the find is unsettling, police report there are
no indications of foul play. South Kingston Police Department announced
last week that the investigation has been officially closed. Officials
expressed their condolences, saying we extend our deepest sympathies to
mister Wayne's family and friends during this challenging time. Nicole Leeboff,

(04:15):
a close friend of Wayne's, shared with US Weekly that
despite the case being closed, true closure will remain elusive
for those who truly cared about him. She said, there
is no closure. We have no idea what happened to
the rest of him. We can only assume he is
no longer with us. Ween frequently visited Rhode Island to
see his brother and friends, and prior to his disappearance,

(04:37):
he had informed his employer of his plans to take
a week off due to quote unforeseen circumstances, promising to
return the following Sunday. However, he never came back. Even
if he walked a few miles, he wouldn't have walked
sixteen miles. At some point he ended up in the ocean.
But we don't know what happened, said the police. We're

(04:57):
still trying to piece it all together. The grim discovery,
located just three tenths of a mile from Swift's expansive
seaside home in one of Rhode Island's most exclusive neighborhoods,
has caused unease among the locals. Taylor Day, a Westerly
resident who witnessed police responding to the scene, described the
incident as highly unusual. This is definitely out of the

(05:20):
ordinary for us, she remarked, I would never expect something
like this to happen in watch Hell. Despite police assurances
that foul play is not suspected, they expressed her doubts,
saying finding a leg is very suspicious. I definitely disagree
that we shouldn't worry, she said. In recent months, there
have been at least thirteen reported cases of human remains

(05:42):
found across New England, leading residents to speculate about a
potential serial killer. However, authorities have consistently assured the public
that there is no connection between the cases. Taylor Swift
purchased her eleven thousand square foot home, known as Holiday House,
in twenty thirteen or seventeen million dollars. The Bad Blood

(06:02):
singer hosted a series of Instagram famous Fourth of July
parties at the home, including attendees and celebrities like Blake Lively.
Swift's twenty twenty album Folklore features the song The Last
Great American Dynasty, which draws connections between her life and
that of the house's former owner, Rebecca Harkness, both having
faced public scrutiny. Recent building permits indicate that Swift, to

(06:26):
his currently dating Kansas City Chief's tight End Travis Kelcey,
is undertaking a one point seven million dollar expansion project
to her home, which will include renovations to the kitchen,
an additional bedroom suite, and more bathrooms. For the latest
crime and justice news, follow Crime Alert hourly update on
your favorite podcasting app with this Crime Alert. I'm Nico Hart.