HOUSTON—Roger Dean Matice, 73, of Houston, has been ordered to federal prison following his convictions of distribution and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Matice pleaded guilty Aug. 18, 2014.

Today, U.S. District Judge Lynn N. Hughes ordered Matice to serve a total of 60 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five of supervised release. He must also register as a sex offender.

The investigation revealed Matice was making child pornography available to others through the use of peer-to-peer software over the Internet. A law enforcement officer chatted with Matice online during which time Matice sent images of child pornography.

Those discussions and downloads were traced to both Matice’s place of business and his home where search warrants were later executed. The seized computers revealed more than 22,500 images and 470 videos containing child pornography. These images included children under 12 being sexually violated by adults, children under 12 in positions which caused their genitalia to be displayed in a lewd/lascivious manner, as well as children being penetrated by a foreign object.

The charges were the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI Innocent Images Task Force which includes members of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

This case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Zack, was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice 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 marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”