Ledyard Resident Charged with Receiving and Possessing Child Pornography
| U.S. Attorney’s Office May 26, 2011 |
David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that a federal grand jury sitting in New Haven has returned an indictment charging MATTHEW WALLACE, 29, formerly of Ledyard and currently residing on Salt Pond Way in Westerly, Rhode Island, with one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. The indictment was returned on May 24, 2011, and was unsealed today during WALLACE’s arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Holly B. Fitzsimmons in Bridgeport.
The indictment alleges that, on or about May 27, 2010, WALLACE received images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The indictment also alleges that on or about May 28, 2010, WALLACE possessed additional images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
According to a previously filed federal criminal complaint, law enforcement agents conducted a court-authorized search of WALLACE’s Ledyard residence on May 28, 2010 and seized computers and hard drives. Preliminary forensic examination of the seized items has allegedly revealed approximately 130 identified images and videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Since his arrest on December 16, 2010, WALLACE has been released on a $100,000 bond co-signed by a family member. Today, Judge Fitzsimmons ordered that the conditions of WALLACE’s bond be modified to include electronic monitoring and a 9:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew.
If convicted of the charge of receiving child pornography, WALLACE faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted of the charge of possessing child pornography, WALLACE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Fein stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force, which includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Milford Police Department. The Connecticut State Police and the Ledyard Police Department have provided valuable assistance to the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ray Miller and Special Assistant United States Attorney Neeraj Patel.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, and the District of Connecticut’s Operation Constant Vigilance, which are aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.
The Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force, which is housed at the main FBI office in New Haven, investigates crimes occurring over the Internet, including online crimes against children, and provides computer forensic review services for participating agencies. For more information about the task force or to report child exploitation crimes, please contact the FBI at 203-777-6311.
As part of its public outreach efforts, the Department of Justice has launched a website that highlights the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. This new site, the “Briefing Room,” is available at www.justice.gov/usao/briefing_room/index.html and offers news, videos, photos, statistics, and other information on significant issues. Each month, the Briefing Room will feature a different Department of Justice priority area. The inaugural edition of the Briefing Room is dedicated to Project Safe Childhood (“PSC”). The site includes press releases on significant PSC cases, statistics on convictions and sentences in PSC cases, and prevention and Internet safety resources.