Tallahassee Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

TALLAHASSEE B Phillip Wayne Mathenia, 63, of Tallahassee, was sentenced yesterday to serve 120 months in federal prison, after pleading guilty on May 10, 2013, to one count of possession of child pornography.  The result of the sentencing hearing was announced today by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

In 2004, Mathenia was convicted of receiving and possessing child pornography and was sentenced to serve 96 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.  After his release from federal prison, Mathenia was again found in possession of child pornography in October 2012, during a search of his residence conducted by the United States Probation Office.  Mathenia possessed hundreds of images of child pornography contained in several computers as well as in books, magazines, and 8 millimeter films that appeared to be decades old.  Investigators also found written stories describing adults performing sex acts on children.  Mathenia also possessed thousands of computer generated images and cartoon drawings depicting children and infants engaged in sexual activity, including child rape, bondage, torture, and bestiality.           

Because of his prior conviction, Mathenia was sentenced to serve a mandatory minimum term of 10 years.  He was also sentenced to eight months of incarceration on a violation of supervised release.  After his release from federal prison, Mathenia will be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life.  

United States Attorney Marsh praised the United States Probation Office, agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security and Investigations, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children, Computer Forensics/Digital Evidence Recovery Unit for their hard work, dedication and expertise in the investigation and prosecution of this case.

Marsh said, "Protecting our children from the permanent scars left behind when this kind of exploitation occurs is critically important work of the Department of Justice and this Office.  This prison sentence should send a strong message of deterrence, and also provides security and justice for the victims of these crimes.”      

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 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 provides federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.  

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey J. Smith.