EXCLUSIVE: Socialite mom of two young daughters busted in child porn sting for scheming to sexually abuse 8-year-old girl is denied release from prison after arguing she’s an ‘upstanding citizen and UVA graduate who worked at a law firm’
- Eleanor Hunton Hoppe, 45, of Charlottesville, Virginia, will remain in custody after a federal magistrate ruled against her bid for a pre-trial release on April 18
- Among her arguments included in her motion filed in Washington, D.C. where she is being held, Hoppe, said she was an ‘upstanding citizen’ and UVA alum
- Hoppe, a member of one of Virginia’s most prominent families, was arrested in an FBI sting last month after allegedly planning to sexually abuse a young girl
The Virginia socialite snared in an FBI child abuse sting has had her bid for pre-trial release thrown out after trying to convince a judge she is ‘an upstanding citizen,’ DailyMail.com can reveal.
In an appeal filed in Washington, D.C. where she is being held in custody, Eleanor Hunton Hoppe, 45, argued that she deserved freedom because she is a University of Virginia graduate and had worked at a law firm.
The ex-wife of Virginia federal judge Joel Hoppe told the court she was planning to start a new job at a university before her arrest last month and even offered to live under house incarceration supervised by her prominent attorney father in Richmond, according to court documents obtained by DailyMail.com.
Hoppe, who was busted on March 20 after traveling from her Charlottesville home to a hotel in Warrenton with an alleged plan to horrifically abuse an eight-year-old girl, also claimed she had serious health conditions including multiple sclerosis in her plea for freedom.
Eleanor Hunton Hoppe (pictured with her ex-husband Joel Hoppe) of Charlottesville, Virginia, will remain in custody in Washington, D.C. after a judge denied her pre-trial release last week
In an appeal filed in Washington, D.C. where she is being held in custody, Hoppe, 45, argued that she deserved freedom because she is a University of Virginia graduate and had worked at a law firm
However, in an April 18 court order, a federal magistrate ordered her to remain in detention, stating the ‘weight of evidence against the defendant is strong’ and because she is a ‘grave danger to the community.’
As DailyMail.com reported last week, the mom-of-two and member of one of Virginia’s most established families was caught in the FBI operation after messaging an undercover agent explicit and sickening details about what she wanted to do to the child.
The officer had been posing in a fetish internet chatroom as the father of a fictional eight-year-old.
Hoppe, who is charged with child porn and sex abuse offenses, is also accused of sending the agent a 30-second video and three still images of young minor girls being seriously sexually assaulted by men.
The ruling against her release also contains the startling claim that she ‘allegedly used her own minor daughters as a lure to engage with the undercover officer, who she believed to have access to a minor child’.
Her judge ex-husband filed for sole custody of their daughters aged 10 and 12 seven days after her arrest, DailyMail.com previously revealed.
The order in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia to keep her behind bars stated: ‘Although there is little to no evidence that Ms. Hoppe poses a flight risk, the government’s allegations suggest that she poses a grave danger to the community.
‘First, the government presented evidence that Ms. Hoppe has knowledge of sophisticated encrypted communication platforms, which are known to law enforcement as popular applications among people trafficking child pornography.
Hunton Hoppe’s dramatic arrest outside a hotel in Warrenton, Virginia, came after weeks of messaging with an undercover FBI agent about a fictitious eight-year-old girl she allegedly sought to abuse
‘Her alleged use of these platforms is indicative of consciousness of wrongdoing.
‘Second, Ms. Hoppe’s alleged actions target the most vulnerable victim population – young minor children.
‘Finally, Ms. Hoppe’s alleged actions demonstrate a willingness to put other minor children at risk. Considering this high risk of danger to the community, this factor weighs strongly in favor of pretrial detention.
‘Taken together, the Court finds the government has proved by clear and convincing evidence that no combination of conditions could ensure the safety of the community.’
Hoppe tried to use her well-heeled background to try to convince the judge to let her go.
Joel Hoppe, a magistrate judge in the Western District of Virginia, is seeking to modify the custody agreement for his two daughters after his ex-wife’s arrest
Her arrest has stunned communities in Charlottesville and in Richmond, where she grew up amid wealth and prestige as a member of a legal powerhouse family who helped found the city’s biggest law firm, now known as Hunton, Andrews, Kurth.
She is the daughter of Eppa Hunton V, who is 75 and remains a high-profile attorney.
The latest ruling against her in DC states: ‘In support of her request, she argued that she is an upstanding citizen with no prior criminal history.
‘Specifically, she noted that she graduated from the University of Virginia with a bachelor’s degree, has two minor daughters, previously worked at a law firm and in non-profit development, and was set to begin a new job at a local University.
‘Ms. Hoppe further noted that she suffers from serious health conditions, including multiple sclerosis and restless leg syndrome, and thus requires intensive medical care that she could not receive while incarcerated.
‘She proffered that her father— a practicing attorney in Richmond, Virginia—could act as a sufficient third-party custodian. As such, she requested that the Court release her into home incarceration under any conditions the Court deemed necessary to ensure community safety.’
Hoppe had previously worked in child advocacy and support organizations and was a volunteer at her prestigious local Episcopal church in Charlottesville that is affiliated with the University of Virginia, DailyMail.com has already revealed.
She faces life behind bars if convicted of three federal crimes: distributing child porn, enticement of a minor and attempted transportation of a minor with attempt to engage in sexual activity.
During their divorce battle, Joel, 46, had accused his wife of cheating and claimed that she had brought a sexual partner back to the marital home while their young daughters were there
In the wake of her arrest, Joel Hoppe filed documents in Albemarle Circuit Court, Charlottesville, to reopen their divorce paperwork and obtain full custody of the two young girls, a week after his ex-wife’s arrest
Hoppe’s dramatic arrest outside a hotel in Warrenton, Virginia, came after weeks of messaging with the undercover FBI agent about a fictitious eight-year-old girl she allegedly sought to abuse.
The accused mom had entered a fetish website where users discuss and trade images of child sex abuse, according to the criminal complaint filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia.
She allegedly used the screenname ‘titotori’ and started an email chat with another user, who was an undercover FBI Task Force officer based at the Washington DC field office and operating out of a satellite location.
According to the filing, Hoppe told the agent she was a mother and wanted to chat about ‘taboo parenting’.
The undercover officer responded he was the father of a young girl, at which point Hoppe directed the agent to a social media app that encrypts messages.
There, she used the name ‘tori4fun’ and in a series of messages starting February 23 she revealed she lived in Charlottesville.
The agent asked Hoppe to verify she was ‘safe’ by sending an image of herself holding up her thumb near her breast. The photo showed her lifting her shirt up, exposing her bare breast and with her face partially visible, said the filing.
On February 27, the Virginia mom allegedly contacted the agent through the app to ask about the abuse he was perpetrating against his daughter, saying ‘what do you think your next step will be?’
Throughout the message exchange Hoppe expressed an interest in traveling to Washington to abuse the undercover agent’s fictitious daughter with him, the papers state.
A criminal complaint obtained by DailyMail.com last week shows Hunton Hoppe is charged with three federal crimes: Distributing child porn, enticement of a minor and attempted transportation of a minor with attempt to engage in sexual activity
The statement of facts includes disturbing allegations – some of which are too graphic to publish – alleging how the mom allegedly browsed a fetish website where users discuss and trade images of child sex abuse
The ex spouses previously agreed to joint physical custody after a messy divorce battle in May 2021 – during which Joel accused his ex-wife of hunting for sex with other men and women in legal documents
She repeatedly said she wanted to help the ‘father’ introduce the eight-year-old to sexual activity – and around March 12 it was agreed she would travel from her home, it is alleged.
Hoppe is said to have messaged the undercover agent with the sickening words: ‘I can’t wait and then of course, putting her to bed and waking her up to do a few extra things will be so fun.’
She then suggested something about anal sex, later adding: ‘Has she seen videos of little girls with her dad yet?’
Hoppe is then said to have sent the agent a 30-second clip of a ‘small-framed female who appears to be on a bed’.
The complaint says: ‘The small female, who appears to be a minor, can only be seen from behind, and she is nude from the waist down.’ It continues to say that a man is having sex with the female in the video.
According to the criminal complaint Hoppe wrote to the agent on March 8 regarding the daughter: ‘A great thing to do is wake her up by trying new things … that hazy/dreamlike state is perfect to introduce a variety of new things.’
Four days later while allegedly discussing travel plans, the report says she wrote: ‘If I were you, I’d start building up Thursday telling her that you know it’s gonna be super fun we’re gonna hang out with an old friend of yours.
‘It’s going to be the best night ever blah blah blah and then once I get there, obviously, it will take a slight turn.’
On March 16, the filing says, Hoppe sent three images to the undercover agent who was in an FBI office. All three showed men having sex with prepubescent minor girls.
That afternoon it was agreed she would travel 70 miles to a hotel in Warrenton.
‘Hoppe sent the UC (undercover officer) a photograph of a pink silk robe she would bring, with the message, ‘Her big girl robe for tonight’.’
Even as she traveled for the meeting, Hoppe messaged with horrific instructions and suggestions, it is alleged. However, she was arrested as soon as she arrived at the hotel.
Despite claiming she had traveled there to save the child from abuse, officers found a pink children’s bag containing lubricant, silk underwear and a pink silk robe in her car.
Judge Hoppe filed for divorce from in May 2020, eight months after the couple separated., claiming she ‘initiated sexual contact, and committed adultery’ with another man
Judge Joel Hoppe filed papers for full custody of their daughters a week after her arrest, citing the shocking allegations against the mom in his legal documents.
The ex spouses had previously agreed to joint physical custody in May 2021 after a messy divorce battle – during which the magistrate judge accused his ex-wife of hunting for sex with other men and women.
In divorce papers filed in Albemarle Circuit Court, Virginia, Joel, 46, further claimed that his ex had brought a sexual partner back to the marital home while their young daughters were there.
His five-page complaint, obtained by DailyMail.com, states: ‘On or about August 7, 2019, defendant initiated sexual contact, and committed adultery by having oral sex, with a male partner, not her spouse.
‘On August 22, 2019, defendant had sexual intercourse with a male, not her spouse, in the city of Charlottesville, Virginia.
‘Subsequent to those two sexual encounters, defendant has, on frequent occasions, attempted to engage other men and women for sexual encounters.’
It then adds: ‘Upon reasonable belief, defendant has brought a sexual partner into marital residence…. while the minor children were present. The aforesaid behavior exposes the minor children to risk of emotional harm.’
Hoppe denied the three charges against her in a video call hearing on April 4 at the federal district court for the District of Columbia.
She is being held at the Central Detention Facility in DC and her next hearing is due June 6.
The judge, who lives in a quiet, picturesque corner of Charlottesville, previously declined to comment when contacted by DailyMail.com.
From a mansion to prison cell: The shocking fall of Eleanor Hunton Hoppe
Eleanor Hunton Hoppe grew up in a magnificent five bedroom, five bathroom Colonial Revival-style spread from the early 1900s in Westhampton, one of Richmond’s most desirable neighborhoods.
She was privately educated at the city’s prestigious St Catherine’s School – an Episcopal establishment for girls – and went on to obtain a BA in psychology from the University of Virginia.
She can trace her family’s links in Virginia back to Eppa Hunton I, who was born in 1789 and was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.
Eppa Hunton II was a brigadier general in the Confederate Army and later served in both the US House of Representatives and Senate
One of his sons, Eppa Hunton II, brought the family even more prominence. He was a lawyer who rose to become Confederate brigadier general during the American Civil War and later served as a Democrat in the US House of Representatives and then the US Senate.
It was his son, Eppa Hunton III, who co-founded the law firm Munton, Hunton, Williams & Anderson which is now known as Hunton, Andrews, Kurth, and employs more than 900 attorneys in 20 offices.
Hoppe’s 75-year-old father used an email address from the firm when he had his daughter’s 2019 charge dismissed.
The accused mom boasts of working with several organizations involving young people and child advocacy on her LinkedIn page.
She spent two years with non-profit Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge in Charlottesville, a support service helping local young people. The organization told us: ‘We are deeply saddened to hear of this report involving an individual who formerly worked with our organization.
‘Upon learning of the charges, our organization proactively reached out to law enforcement officials to share Ms. Hoppe’s employment history with our organization. The safety and well-being of the children we serve is our highest priority.’
Hoppe also spent a year at non-profit ReadyKids in the city, which offers counseling, family support and early learning opportunities.
Hoppe’s forefather Eppa Hunton III helped found one of Virginia’s most prominent law firms
She was an ‘early learning specialist… and in charge of all early learning playgroups’ in three locations according to her LinkedIn biography.
ReadyKids also said it is distraught to hear of the charges.
‘As an organization that prioritizes child safety, we can confirm that Ms. Hoppe passed all required background checks, including criminal history and child protective services, and was employed in a program that worked exclusively with groups of parents present with their children.
‘We strongly condemn any and all acts of violence against children and know the trauma it can cause. Our hearts and thoughts are with all children that have been affected by these horrible crimes.’
Hoppe also said she worked for two years from 2000 for Virginia’s Office of the Commonwealth Attorney as a victim-witness advocate, offering ‘resources and referrals to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and violent crimes’.
Additionally the mom was a formerly a volunteer at St Marks Memorial Church in Charlottesville, which is affiliated with her alma mater.
A 2018 posting on the church’s website reveals she was the coordinator for the Fall Kick-Off Picnic, which included ‘dessert games for kids, face painting and more!’
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