Orofino Man Pleads Guilty To Federal Child Pornography Charge

COEUR D'ALENE - Matthew P. Carlson, 31, of Orofino, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to possession of sexually explicit images of minors, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Carlson was indicted by a federal grand jury in Coeur d'Alene on April 15, 2014.

According to the plea agreement, Carlson ordered DVD’s containing sexually explicit images of minors and child erotica from a Canadian company. The DVD’s were sent to Carlson through the U.S. Mail. The defendant also admitted that he intentionally downloaded child pornography on the internet. Over 600 child pornography photographs were located on a computer and hard-drive seized from Carlson’s residence.

The charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000.00, and lifetime supervised release.

Sentencing is set for November 12, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.

“The U.S. Attorney's Office will aggressively work with our local, state, and federal partners to stop the sexual exploitation of children,” said Olson. “Those who continue to victimize children by possessing or distributing images of children being sexually abused will be targeted and prosecuted.”

The case was investigated through the collaborative effort of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Orofino Police Department. These agencies participate in the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a statewide coalition of local, state and federal law enforcement and prosecution agencies, focused on apprehending and prosecuting individuals who use the Internet to criminally exploit children. For more information about the Idaho ICAC Task Force and a list of all the participating agencies, visit www.icacidaho.org.

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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”