Michigan Man 'Daddy' Traveled To Limerick For Sex With Teenage Girl: Feds

PHILADELPHIA, PA — A Michigan man known as 'Daddy' who traveled to Montgomery County to have sex with a 13-year-old girl has pleaded guilty in federal court to 14 counts of child exploitation.

Mark Allen Hillis, 58, entered a guilty plea on Wednesday before U.S. District Court Judge Eduardo C. Robreno to all criminal charges against him in a 14-count indictment, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

The charges against Hillis stemmed from his sexual exploitation of a minor teenage girl whom he had first met in a YouTube chat room.

According to federal prosecutors, Hillis, after exchanging phone numbers with the girl, began grooming her by sending her obscene images and by "[hounding] the minor at all times of the day and night, repeatedly requesting her to produce and send him sexually explicit images of herself via text message."

Hillis eventually traveled to Limerick Township in Montgomery County to meet the girl in person, where he ultimately sexually assaulted her in a local hotel room, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

"Mark Hillis not only manipulated a young child into providing him with explicit images of herself, he traveled across state lines, convinced her to leave her home, and assaulted her — every parent's worst nightmare," Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams said in a statement. "The defendant's guilty plea ensures that he will be held accountable for being the predator that he is."

The charges against Hillis included, but were not limited to, enticing a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct, manufacturing child pornography, transferring obscene material to a minor, and possessing child pornography.

Hillis was known by his nickname, 'Daddy,' as well as his screen name, 'Denverpolice#666.'

In addition to the federal charges, Hillis also faces state charges in Montgomery County relating to the sexual assault that occurred at the hotel room.

Pennsylvania state court records show that Hillis faces a total of 12 felony counts and one misdemeanor charge in connection with the incident.

Records show Hillis was formally arraigned on the state charges back in June. No trial date appears to have been set on the state charges.

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said his office is "ever-vigilant for online predators who prey on children.

"We remain focused on protecting this most vulnerable population and working with our state and federal partners to prosecute these dangerous criminals," Steele said in a statement. "We thank the U.S. Attorney's Office for their tireless work on this case."

The U.S. Attorney's Office says the case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, which is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse that was launched back in 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice.