Emerson Man Sentenced For Manufacturing Child Pornography

Matthew C. Steging, age 42 of Emerson, Nebraska, was sentenced in United States District Court in Omaha, Nebraska, for producing child pornography.  The Honorable Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Steging to a fifteen year term of imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal prison system.  After his release from prison Steging will begin a fifteen year term of supervised release.  He will also be required to register as a sex offender.

On August 26, 2013, a search warrant was executed at Steging’s residence in Emerson.  Agents were seeking evidence related to the manufacture and possession of child pornography.  Forensic analysis located 10 movie clips.  The movies were filmed at the residence.  The movies depicted a sleeping ten year old girl being sexually abused.  The abuse continued at various points throughout the evening and into the next morning.  No faces were depicted in the videos.  Steging was identified by a distinctive tattoo on his hand.

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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.