Azle Man Sentenced to 210 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Pornography

FORT WORTH, Texas — Jeremy Michael Matthews, 27, of Azle, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means to 210 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in May 2017 to one count of distribution of a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.

Matthews has been in custody since the date of his arrest in March 2017.

According to documents filed in the case, starting in early 2014, Matthews began receiving and sending images of child pornography through the Kik instant messaging application. On March 24, 2016 law enforcement executed a search warrant at Matthews’ residence and he admitted that he possessed child pornography on his cell phone. A review of Matthews’ cell phone revealed approximately 650 images of child pornography.  Matthews’ computer contained approximately 982 images of child pornography.

The cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Texas Rangers investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Fahey was in charge of the prosecution.

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