A Lexington man has been slammed with a 14-year prison sentence for hoarding child pornography.
Matthew Ryan Mullins, 29, received the harsh punishment from U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell on Thursday for receiving and possessing child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, law enforcement identified Mullins during an investigation into online groups involving the receipt and distribution of child pornography on June 21, 2022.
Mullins admitted to exchanging large amounts of child sexual abuse material with others across the world using various online platforms.
Over 3,300 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children were found on his phone, a staggering collection that will leave no doubt in anyone’s mind about the severity of Mullins’ crimes.
Under federal law, Mullins must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence, meaning he’ll spend a minimum of 11.9 years behind bars.
Upon his release from prison, he’ll be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 20 years, a period during which he’ll be closely monitored to ensure he doesn’t reoffend.
The investigation was a joint effort between Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Kentucky State Police, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Project Safe Childhood 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.
As part of this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to crack down on individuals who engage in child exploitation and abuse, bringing them to justice and protecting our children from harm.
The sentence handed down to Mullins is a stark reminder of the consequences of engaging in child exploitation and abuse, and it serves as a warning to others who may be tempted to engage in such behavior.
It’s a message that will be heard loud and clear, and it’s a message that will be acted upon by law enforcement agencies across the country.
Related Federal Cases
- Boyd Gets 78 Months for Child Porn · Kentucky
- Lexington Man Sentenced for Child Pornography Hoard · Kentucky
- Kentucky Man Gets 15 Years for Advertising Child Porn · Massachusetts
- Perkins & Broderick: WA Men Plead Guilty to Child Porn · Kentucky
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Key Facts
- State: Kentucky
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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