Cherryville man sentenced to 35 years in prison for secretly filming underage girls in the shower

CHERRYVILLE, N.C. — A Cherryville man is headed to prison for secretly filming underage girls while they showered.

On Thursday, a federal judge sentenced Richard Hilliard to 35 years behind bars and nearly $100,000 in fines. He will also serve a lifetime of supervised release and register as a sex offender.

He faced up to 50 years in prison.

Hilliard pleaded guilty to filming at least 16 children in several places, including his Cherryville mansion, hotel rooms and his yacht in Myrtle Beach.

He was arrested two years ago after inviting several girls to his yacht. Some of the victims were his kids’ babysitters.

Authorities search home of man accused of recording girls on his yacht in Myrtle Beach Authorities search home of man accused of recording girls on his yacht in Myrtle Beach

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