Sex Offender Sentenced to Serve 30 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Child Pornography

OKLAHOMA CITY – MATTHEW RYAN STROBL, 34, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 30 years in federal prison for distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

On August 16, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a four-count Indictment against Strobl, charging him with attempted sexual exploitation of a child, attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, commission of a felony sex offense by an individual required to register as a sex offender, and distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography. According to public record, beginning in March 2023, Strobl initiated and maintained contact on a social media app with a Homeland Security Investigations agent, who was undercover portraying a minor female. Despite the agent purporting to be 14 years old, Strobl repeatedly indicated he wanted to have sex with the fictitious minor and continuously asked the agent to send explicit photos. Strobl also sent the agent more than 1,000 child pornography files.

During this same period, Strobl’s phone was confiscated by an Oklahoma Department of Corrections probation officer, who discovered Strobl attempting to procure explicit photos from another minor, on another social media app.

On December 4, 2023, Strobl pleaded guilty to Count 4 of the Indictment, and admitted he distributed child pornography using his cell phone.

At the sentencing hearing on August 29, 2024, U.S. District Judge Jodi W. Dishman sentenced Strobl to serve 30 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, Judge Dishman noted the nature and circumstances of Strobl’s offense and Strobl’s criminal history.

Public record reflects that Strobl has a history of sexually abusing minors, including felony convictions for second degree rape in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2012-2113 and sexual battery in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2018-4518.

This case is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan Ganz and Brandon Hale prosecuted the case.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation Task Force. Members of the Task Force in the Western District of Oklahoma include Homeland Security Investigations, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma City Police Department, and Comanche County Police Department. The Tornado Alley Child Exploitation Task Force is an implementation of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.  PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Reference is made to public filings for additional information.