Piscataway Man, 33, Had 735 Child Porn Videos, Police Say

PISCATAWAY, NJ — A Piscataway man who possessed approximately 735 videos of child pornography on his computer was sentenced to five years in state prison Friday for distributing child pornography on the internet.

Matthew Dieterman, 33, of Piscataway, was arrested in 2016 as part of “Operation Safeguard,” a highly-publicized child pornography sweep in New Jersey that resulted in 16 men across the state being arrested by agents with ICE, Homeland Security and State Police for child porn.

Dieterman was arrested on March 4, 2016, when agents executed a search warrant at his home in Piscataway. A Homeland Security detective previously had downloaded 37 videos and images of child pornography from a shared folder at an IP address traced to Dieterman.

During the search, detectives seized a computer belonging to Dieterman that contained numerous files of child pornography. The Piscataway Police Department assisted in the operation. A forensic examination of the computer by Homeland Security revealed a total of 735 videos of child pornography and nine additional images of child pornography.

Dieterman pleaded guilty on Aug. 25, 2017 to a second-degree charge of distribution of child pornography (knowingly storing or maintaining child pornography in a file-sharing program).

During Operation Safeguard, police monitored several online file-sharing networks that are popular with offenders who download and trade child pornography. Using advanced technology, the investigators searched for digital “fingerprints” of known child pornography and search terms used by such offenders. Through these and other methods, they identified New Jersey residents who were downloading child pornography and making child pornography available to others in “shared folders” on their computers.

“The New Jersey State Police and our law enforcement partners remain committed to protecting our children from the predators who circulate this filth on the Internet," said Colonel Patrick Callahan, Acting Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police.

Dieterman was sentenced Friday to five years in state prison, including 2 ½ years of parole ineligibility.

He will be required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law and will be subject to parole supervision for life. Photo of Dieterman released by the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General.