Yankton Man Found Guilty of Possession of Child Pornography

United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that Matthew Carter, age 31, of Yankton, South Dakota, was found guilty of Possession of Child Pornography as a result of a federal jury trial in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. 

The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. 

Carter was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 4, 2021. 

While Carter was in jail in January 2021, he called his dad and directed him to retrieve some property that Carter hid above the ceiling tile in his bathroom.  An officer listening to the jail call went to Carter’s residence and found a computer hard drive above the ceiling tile.  Forensic examination of the hard drive revealed 60 video files containing child pornography.

This case was investigated the Yankton Police Department, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.

A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has not been set.  The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.