Ceres Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Distributing Child Pornography

FRESNO, Calif. — Richard Anthony Matlock, 30, of Ceres, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill to 15 years in prison for distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

“Downloading and distributing sexually explicit images and videos of young children not only creates lifelong scars for victims, but also creates a demand for the continuous production of the disturbing material,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, special agent in charge for HSI San Francisco. “HSI will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to target criminals who prey on the most vulnerable members of society.”

According to court documents, between November 5, 2015, and September 22, 2016, in Stanislaus County, Matlock was found to have distributed through his cellphone between 300 and 600 images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The images also involved the portrayal of sadistic, masochistic, and other depictions of violence, and included depictions of pre-pubescent minors. According to court documents, Matlock has a prior conviction in the Stanislaus County Superior Court on April 9, 2015, for possession of child pornography.

This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian W. Enos prosecuted the case.

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. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about Internet safety education.