Montgomery Man Sentenced For Making, Sharing Child Pornography

CHICAGO, IL — A Kane County man has been sentenced after being convicted of producing and distributing child pornography, according to a release from the Department of Justice.

Matthew Brown, 31, of Montgomery, took photos of a prepubescent minor and shared them online over the messaging app Kik. He pleaded guilty in 2018, the release says.

The release says he also possessed over 240 other photographs and videos containing child pornography.

Brown was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison and ordered to pay $80,292 in restitution to his known victims.

"[Brown] preyed upon the most innocent and vulnerable of victims – children," Assistant U.S. Attorney John D. Mitchell said in the sentencing memorandum, the release says. "These images are shocking and display the horrific exploitation of young children," he said.

The release says Brown used the usernames "MaddMatter" and "ratsoff2u" on Kik, and frequented Kik chatrooms which were set up for the purpose of sharing child pornography.

The release says Brown unwittingly spoke with an undercover law enforcement officer, sending photos and videos of child pornography. One of the photos, which the release describes as sexually explicit, had been personally taken by Brown.

Brown's shared photos and videos were given to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which found that Brown had two series of child pornography. Authorities identified some of the children exploited in the images and videos. Some of the victims submitted statements to the court describing the harm caused.

The Department of Justice says that if you believe you have been a victim of sexual exploitation, then call NCMEC at 1-800-843-5678 or visit the Missing Kids website. Services are made available 24/7.