Local Man Charged in Nationwide Child Pornography Ring

A federal investigation has led to the arrest and sentencing of Matthew M. Peeples, a 44-year-old man from Pine, Arizona. Peeples was found guilty and sentenced to 12 ½ years in prison for receiving child pornography.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin, in October 2021, a father reported to law enforcement that he had seen images of his 16-year-old daughter’s dog performing oral sex on her in her Snapchat messages. The father allowed police to search his phone, which contained the Snapchat application associated with his daughter’s account.

The search revealed conversations between the victim and Peeples, which took place between September 23 and October 25, 2021. During these conversations, the victim stated she was 16 years old, but Peeples lied about his age and repeatedly asked the victim to perform sexual acts with her dog. When she complied, he recorded the activity and sent the recordings to someone else in an attempt to convince them to engage in similar behavior.

Peeples also portrayed himself as a 16-year-old boy to obtain explicit images from other minors. He admitted to exploiting minors for approximately 10-12 years.

Judge William M. Conley found that a significant sentence was warranted due to the defendant’s manipulation and coercion of the victim to engage in humiliating conduct for his own sexual gratification. Conley was also concerned that Peeples was living a double life, with people in his life having no idea of the horrific life he was living online.

The charge against Peeples was the result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Waunakee, Middleton, and Truckee, California Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman prosecuted this case.

Peeples will serve 12 ½ years in prison, followed by 30 years of supervised release. The case is a reminder of the importance of being vigilant and aware of the online activities of those around us.

Matthew M. Peeples, Defendant

Receiving Child Pornography, Criminal Charge

Pine, Arizona, Defendant’s City and State

October 25, 2021, Date of Crime

12 ½ years in prison and 30 years of supervised release, Sentence

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Sex Crimes

Charlene Ortiz-Cordova, Sexual Harassment by Supervisor, New Mexico…

Jan 9, 2009

Sex Crimes

Theophile Jesse Taken Alive, Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, South Dakota 2021

Oct 15, 2021

Sex Crimes

Parker S. Sikand, Child Pornography, New York 2026

Mar 24, 2017

Sex Crimes

Jared Russell Rigdon, Child Pornography, Iowa 2024

Nov 14, 2024