United States Attorney James T. Jacks
Northern District of Texas

MONDAY, JUNE 28, 2010
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txn/

DALLAS MAN SENTENCED TO SEVEN YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON
ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CONVICTION

Child Pornography Discovered by Computer Repairman

DALLAS — Matthew D. Ruff, 29, of Dallas, was sentenced late Friday afternoon by U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn to 84 months (seven years) in federal prison, to be followed by seven years of supervised release, for receiving child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. Ruff, who is in federal custody, pleaded guilty to the offense in December 2009.

According to plea documents, on June 15, 2008, Ruff requested a computer repairman from Best Buy to come to his home to repair his computer. When the computer repairman analyzed the computer, he noticed a hard drive failure and told Ruff to take the computer back to the store. However, Ruff insisted that the repairman fix it there. When the computer repairman began copying the hard drive, he saw that Ruff was using Limewire file-sharing software and informed Ruff that the would have to scan Limewire for viruses and spyware. While he was scanning, he noticed that the computer was downloading numerous files indicative of child pornography. He also saw several files of child pornography located in other folders. After checking with his superiors for advice, the repairman called the Dallas Police Department.

In mid-June 2008, the Dallas Police Department secured and executed a search warrant on Ruff’s residence and seized two computers and an external hard drive. An investigation of the seized computers revealed that Ruff had more than 31 videos on his Dell and Hewlett Packard computers and external hard drive.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Dallas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille E. Sparks was in charge of the prosecution.

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