Today is a day we have waited a long time for. Over one year since Ryan Hogan gave a webcam masturbation session for ourselves and Dateline NBC and today is finally that long-awaited day.

Ryan Hogan finally asked for and took a plea agreement.

Hogan has pled to the second count against him, the exposure charge. This ends a long and arduous process where Hogan's attorney tried everything he could to create frustration and problems for the prosecution. Hogan's family had actually sought help from pro-pedophile groups who tried to help them beat the charges. It took over a year, but Hogan finally realized that going to trial would be a very bad idea for his near and long-term future.

Hogan's case was of course covered by the hour-long Dateline NBC/Perverted-Justice.com special. Reference: Story here. Also an Associated Press story covering his arrest. Reference: Story here. This marks Perverted-Justice.com's first federal-level conviction and our 14th conviction in 13 different states since June of 2004. To say we are immensely pleased with this outcome is a massive understatement. We do hope that attention is paid to the fact that we are an organization so committed to working with police that we'll jump through a year's worth of hoops right along with everyone else.

The contributor who had the chat-log with Hogan, Frag, had this to say about the news:

Frag: It has been a long strange odyssey from March 2004 until today, but in the end truth and justice prevailed. Its been 15 long months since Ryan Hogan started a chat with me while I was in New York with Del Harvey working on a GMB for Dateline NBC. Today he pled guilty in federal court to the second count of the indictment against him. His sentencing wont be for a couple of months so we dont have all the details yet, but we do know that he is facing possible jail time and will no longer wear the uniform of the FDNY.

The evidence against him was so overwhelming that most of us were quite surprised he hadnt pled earlier, but because of reasons well probably never know, he chose to try and fight it right up until within days of a jury trial. But just days from having to face a jury and try to explain away the unexplainable, he chose to do the only sensible thing and work out a plea agreement with the US Attorney.

Id like to express my thanks and gratitude first and foremost to Del Harvey for making this bust possible by doing such a fantastic job as the phone verifier and decoy. Id also like to thank the US DOJ for taking this case so seriously and seeing it through to the end.

The phone verifier on the Hogan case was Del Harvey, whose reaction follows:

Del: Ryan Hogan was one of the first verification calls I ever made. Given that he was a New York City firefighter, his desire to be with a thirteen year old girl was truly disturbing.

His deciding to masturbate on webcam wearing his firehouse sweatshirt was probably one of the most disturbing things I've witnessed.

Today's plea of guilty by Ryan is precisely what we hoped to have happen, and demonstrates precisely why we do what we do--another dangerous predator is now removed from a position in which he had the ability to possibly take advantage of vulnerable youth.

We are very pleased that the long wait is over, and very happy with the US Attorney's Office, Dateline NBC and everyone else involved in the investigation and prosecution of Ryan Hogan.