Scott Hale, formerly of Washington, was sentenced Monday to two years in jail on two child pornography charges in accordance with a plea agreement made with the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office in August.
“I stand here deeply regretful and remorseful for the actions that I made, and I’m fully aware of the seriousness of the offenses,” Hale told Judge William Sharp at his sentencing.
According to the plea agreement, which was accepted by Sharp, Hale will serve two years in jail, with 13 more years suspended for the two charges.
Hale, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography and one count of possession, reproduction, distribution, solicitation and facilitation of child pornography. Hale was indicted in February 2024 after an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force operation uncovered multiple pornographic files and images linked to his IP address and physical files on his computer hard drive, according to court records.
Hale told Sharp that his mental state after the death of his father and separation from his significant other led him to commit “unhealthy actions to find happiness, but it was an unhealthy choice.” Hale said he has sought counseling and completed over 120 hours of community service, and asked the judge for leniency so that he can “continue on [the positive] path I have created since my offense.”
Before Hale was remanded into custody, his attorney, Casey Bach, spoke of Hale’s “genuine regret and remorse” and provided two letters — one from a representative from the Stafford SPCA where Hale has volunteered, and one from Hale’s mother — attesting to his character and community service.
After his release from jail, Hale will be required to serve five years of supervised probation, followed by five years of unsupervised probation. He will be subject to special sex offender probation conditions including no contact with females under the age of 18 unless authorized by the probation office as well as providing a list of “internet-capable devices” and their passwords to his parole officer.
Ireland Hayes is a reporter for Foothills Forum, a nonprofit organization that supports local news in Rappahannock County.
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