LAKELAND, FL. – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Matthew Holton, 25, Lakeland, to five years in federal prison for possessing images and videos depicting young children being sexually abused.
Holton was also ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release, to register as a sex offender, and to pay $21,000 in restitution to child victims. Holton had pleaded guilty on June 4, 2021.
According to court documents, agents with Homeland Security Investigations began investigating the internet upload of an image depicting the sexual abuse of a child between the ages of one and three, as reported by an internet service provider to the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children.
Agents executed a search warrant at Holton’s residence and seized his iPhone that contained more than 1,000 images and 19 videos of child sexual abuse materials, including depictions of minors as young as one-year-old.
“Every time child pornography is viewed, it re-victimizes a young child,” said HSI Tampa acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Silliman. “This criminal will now face the consequences of his crimes.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.
Visit Tampafp.com for Politics, Tampa Area Local News, Sports, and National Headlines. Support journalism by clicking here to our GoFundMe or sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here.
Android Users, Click Here To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook Here Or Twitter Here.