Berks County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Offenses

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Matthew McKinney, 27, of Reading, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. on one count each of distribution of child pornography and receipt of child pornography.

McKinney was arrested on a criminal complaint and warrant in August of this year and charged by information in October. With today’s plea, he has waived prosecution by indictment.

As detailed in court documents, the defendant came to investigators’ attention based on his communications with the subject of an FBI New York investigation into the Telegram account “Steve Jobs” @perv_94, which was used to trade child sexual abuse material (CSAM) with other Telegram users.

In reviewing the “Steve Jobs” @perv_94 Telegram account, FBI New York observed communications between it and a Telegram user with the display name of “Unknown 69.” The communications contained both the distribution and receipt of CSAM.

Specifically, on May 26, 2025, the “Steve Jobs” @perv_94 Telegram account sent the “Unknown 69” account approximately 80 video files containing CSAM that primarily depicted female children, some of whom were pre-pubescent, engaging in sexual conduct.

On July 29, 2025, the “Unknown 69” account then sent “Steve Jobs” @perv_94 four files containing CSAM, including depictions of pre-pubescent children engaging in sexual conduct. The “Unknown 69” account additionally sent a MEGA link, which contained approximately 1,100 video files containing CSAM, including depictions of pre-pubescent children engaged in sexual conduct. Some of the video files shared between the accounts depicted the sexual abuse of children as young as infants and toddlers.

After obtaining subscriber information and other records, FBI Allentown agents determined that McKinney was the user of “Unknown 69” account, which McKinney subsequently admitted in an interview.

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on February 25 and faces a maximum possible term of 40 years’ imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum of five years in prison; five years up to a lifetime of supervised release; a $500,000 fine; mandatory restitution of at least $3,000 per victim; and additional financial assessments.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative 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 projectsafechildhood.gov.

The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency and FBI New York and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca J. Kulik.

Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.