January 30, 2015

Janesville Man Charged with Child Pornography Crime

MADISON, WI—John W. Vaudreuil, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that a federal child pornography charge has been filed against Matthew R. Phillips, 36, Janesville, Wis.

Phillips was arrested today in Janesville, following the execution of a federal search warrant at his residence.

Phillips made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Madison this afternoon, and was detained in custody.

The complaint filed today alleges that on October 14, 2014, Phillips persuaded a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct, and such visual depiction was transmitted via text message using a cellular telephone.

If convicted, Phillips faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Rockton (Illinois) Police Department, and Janesville Police Department. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Elizabeth Altman.

You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.