The jury trial for a Bellmont man facing multiple child pornography charges has been postponed.
Twenty-eight-year-old Gage Hoffman appeared Monday in Wabash County Circuit Court with his attorney, William Easton. At the defense's request, and without objection from the State, the court rescheduled Hoffman's jury trial to October 5th at 9 a.m.
A pretrial conference is now set for August 17th at 11 a.m., followed by a final pretrial conference on September 14th at 9:30 a.m.
Hoffman also waived his right to a speedy trial.
The court ruled that Hoffman will remain in the Wabash County Jail, finding his continued detention is necessary because he poses a real, specific, and present threat to the community and that no combination of release conditions would adequately address that threat.
Hoffman is charged with 15 felony counts involving alleged child sexual abuse material. The case includes seven Class X felonies and eight additional Class 2 felonies filed by Wabash County State's Attorney Kelli Storckman.
According to court records, the alleged offenses occurred between July 2024 and March 2025. Investigators allege several of the charges involve victims under the age of 13.
The charges stem from an investigation that began after Wabash County Sheriff's deputies executed a search warrant at a Bellmont residence on April 29, where electronic evidence was reportedly recovered. The investigation remains ongoing with assistance from the Mount Carmel Police Department and the Illinois Attorney General's Office.
Hoffman has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the case remains pending.
