AUGUSTA — A children’s martial arts instructor jailed on state charges of possessing child pornography now faces a federal charge that he filmed himself sexually assaulting one of his students, who appears drugged and unconscious.

The production of child pornography charge lodged against Augusta resident Wade Robert Hoover, 34, in U.S. District Court in Bangor carries a minimum mandatory 15-year prison term and a maximum term of 30 years.

Hoover is accused of enticing or forcing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct so it could be recorded, and of producing it with materials that were sent through interstate commerce.

Maine State Police on Oct. 3 charged Hoover with possession of sexually explicit materials of minors under age 12, a felony offense carrying a maximum of five years in jail.

“My understanding is he will shortly be arrested on that federal charge,” said attorney William Baghdoyan Wednesday. Baghdoyan is representing Hoover in the state criminal case. “Just because there’s a complaint doesn’t mean someone is guilty as charged.”

Hoover was arrested Oct. 3 by state and federal agents at the Bangor Street office of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Maine, where he worked. Kennebec County Superior Court documents say he lost that job as a result of his arrest.

Hoover also is owner and chief instructor at Koshowarrior’s Martial Arts and the United Martial Arts academies in Lewiston, where he teaches children as young as age 3, Maine State Police spokesman Steve McCausland has said.

On several dates throughout October, federal authorities used search warrants to seize a series of items from Hoover’s Augusta home and from the Koshowarrior studio in Lewiston, according to documents filed in federal court on Tuesday. Among the items collected were a DVD/CD described as containing account data, video and still cameras plus memory cards, external hard drives for computers, documents, and prescription bottles.

They also searched his vehicles, and on Oct. 6 searched him at the Kennebec County jail, taking six digital photographs of his tattoos.

A federal court affidavit by William Hoyt, a special agent with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, describes how some video images were allegedly created by Hoover.

Hoover told investigators that in early June he took two children who were students at his martial arts studio for two nights to a cabin in The Forks Plantation and took pictures and video of himself sexually abusing an 11-year-old boy who had taken sleep medication. Investigators said parents of the boy noted he appeared to be under the influence of substances even when he arrived at his home.

Hoover told investigators he had brought his medication for sleep and anxiety to the cabin.

Another video taken from Hoover’s computer shows Hoover and an unidentified man sexually assaulting another young boy, Hoyt’s affidavit says.

Hoover told investigators that “he has a sexual preference for smooth chubby boys between 12-14 years of age,” Hoyt’s affidavit says.

Hoover also told investigators that he used his personal laptop to download child pornography via the network at the National Alliance on Mental Illness Maine offices in Augusta. Hoover attracted the attention of investigators in late August when “10 known videos of child pornography were being made available” from a computer using that office’s Internet address.

He is scheduled to be in Kennebec County Superior Court Dec. 11 on the state charge.

Baghdoyan said that Hoover was not asked to enter a plea in state court at his initial appearance shortly after his arrest. Bail is set at $5,000 cash, and Hoover has remained in the Kennebec County jail since Oct. 3.

Betty Adams — 621-5631
badams@centralmaine.com