Former Montgomery County Sheriff’s Officer Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Offenses

PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Matthew Laver, age 38, of Souderton, in Montgomery County, PA, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Judge Michael Baylson to multiple counts of distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography.

The defendant was indicted in March 2019 after an investigation into the defendant’s collection of almost 4,000 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children that he downloaded and distributed to other users on the internet over approximately ten years. The investigation revealed that Laver trafficked in child pornography that depicted children as young as infants being sexually assaulted and raped, and that he did so during the time that he was employed as a Montgomery County Sheriff’s Officer.

“The harm caused by child exploitation is devastating and long-lasting, which is why we prosecute these cases aggressively,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams. “In this case, the conduct was particularly egregious because the defendant was a member of a law enforcement organization charged with enforcing the law. We stand ready with our federal and local partners to identify and prosecute all those who would prey upon minor children.”

“Law enforcement officers take an oath to serve and protect, thus our conduct must be beyond reproach ,” said Marlon V. Miller, special agent in charge of HSI Philadelphia. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents worked closely with our law enforcement partners to further prevent this perpetrator from victimizing children by distributing images of sexual assault.”

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce sexual crimes against children. The Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney’s Offices work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce sexual crimes against children.

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Abington Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Eileen Zelek and Michelle Rotella.