A Viola man has waived his preliminary hearing in a child porn case. 77-year-old Richard Hockenberry also pleaded not guilty to the two Class 2 felony counts Tuesday morning in Mercer County Circuit Court. A pre-trial conference is set for Oct. 5.
The charges are the result of a search warrant being executed at his home on Aug. 18 by Illinois State Police investigators along with the Illinois Attorney General’s High Tech Crime Bureau and the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office. Hockenberry is free on a $50,000 recognizance bond.