Matthew Dion, Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, New Hampshire 2021

A Bedford man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for attempting to sexually exploit a minor, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.

MATTHEW DION, 49, of Bedford, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for attempted sexual exploitation of a minor.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about April 19, 2020, the Bedford Police Department was contacted by a representative of an organization that facilitates foreign exchange students traveling to the United States and residing with American host families.

The representative reported that a 15-year-old student, who resided in Dion’s home, believed he had been recorded by Dion while he showered.

The child had found what he believed to be a camera hidden inside a device that looked like a pen in the bathroom he used in the residence.

On April 28, 2020, officers executed a search warrant at Dion’s residence and seized various items including a Micro SD card from Dion’s vehicle.

On the device, officers found images of the child taken in the bathroom as the child was getting out of the shower.

At least one of these images was sexually explicit in that the focal point was the child’s genital area.

A forensic examiner determined that the SD card had been reformatted on or about April 21, 2020, shortly after the Bedford police responded to Dion’s home.

This is consistent with someone attempting to delete items from the device on that date.

Dion previously pleaded guilty on May 11, 2021.

In addition to his prison sentence, Dion was sentenced to a 5-year term of supervised release, $30,000 in restitution to his victim, and a $5,000 assessment fee.

‘This defendant’s sexual exploitation of a minor was reprehensible conduct that merited this serious prison sentence,’ said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.

‘By placing a hidden camera in a bathroom, the defendant stole the innocence of a young teen and betrayed the trust of the family that had agreed to let this foreign exchange student live in the defendant’s home.’

The law enforcement community in New Hampshire works hard to protect children from exploitation and this 15-year sentence should send a message that this type of criminal conduct will not be tolerated in the Granite State.’

MATTHEW DION, 49, of Bedford, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. He was also sentenced to a 5-year term of supervised release, $30,000 in restitution to his victim, and a $5,000 assessment fee.

The crime occurred on April 19, 2020 in Bedford, New Hampshire.

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