Child Predator Caught: Texas Man Charged with Sadistic Exploitation

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 36-year-old Irish national has been charged with four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and four counts of coercion and enticement of a child, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

The charges allege that in September 2022, Matthew Liam Johnstone coerced a minor into filming and photographing herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including acts of sadism.

If convicted, Johnstone faces up to life in prison. All charges also carry a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

The FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit – Criminal Investigative Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Overman and Trial Attorney Adam Braskich of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

“This case is a stark reminder of the devastating impact of child sexual exploitation on victims and their families,” said U.S. Attorney Ganjei. “We will continue to work tirelessly to identify, prosecute, and hold accountable those who engage in such heinous crimes.

An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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