A Seattle-based child predator has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his possession of images of child rape and abuse. Michael David Mathisen, a 68-year-old man from SeaTac, Washington, was handed down the sentence in U.S. District Court in Seattle on [no date given],
Mathisen was arrested in October 2019 after a referral from Microsoft to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) indicated that the account linked to Mathisen was uploading images and searching for child pornography on the internet. The King County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations obtained Mathisen’s electronic devices, revealing 19 files containing images of children being sexually molested and abused.
Mathisen has a history of convictions for child molestation, with previous convictions in 1984 and 1994 for molesting children under the age of nine. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The investigation was led by the Internet Crimes against Children Task Force, coordinated by the Seattle Police Department, and completed by the King County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
According to Judge Richard A. Jones, Mathisen’s actions create a market for child pornography and cause irreparable harm to the victims. “These young victims do a life sentence,” Judge Jones noted.
The case serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilance in combating child exploitation and abuse. As Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman stated, the sentence handed down to Mathisen is a significant step towards protecting children from predators like him.
Related Federal Cases
- Michael T. Laursen, Producing and Possessing Child Pornography, WA,… · Washington
- Michael Eugene Williams, Possession of Child Pornography, Jacksonvi… · Washington
- David D. Lerssen Jr, Child Pornography Distribution, MO 2023 · New York
- Jeremy Gregory, Child Pornography Production, Washington 2023 · Washington
- Michael Stanley Clark, Child Pornography Production, LA 2024 · New York
Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Sex CrimesSex CrimesSex CrimesSex Crimes