Local Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography
Michael C. Matie, a 44-year-old resident of Farmington, recently pleaded guilty to charges of possessing sexually explicit material of children under age 12 in Farmington Unified Court. The guilty plea came as part of an agreement in which a charge of dissemination of sexually explicit material was dismissed.
Matie was indicted in April for incidents that occurred between June 14, 2022, and August 4, 2023. The investigation was conducted by Franklin County sheriff Detective Jacob Richards, who is part of the state Computer Crimes Task Force. Richards discovered several images of child pornography on Matie’s electronic devices, and Matie admitted to having sexually explicit images of minors on his devices.
As a result of the guilty plea, Justice Nancy Mills sentenced Matie to three years with all but one year suspended, followed by four years of probation. Matie is prohibited from having contact with children under age 18, must undergo sexual offender counseling, and submit to random searches of electronic devices. Additionally, he must comply with the state’s Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
In addition to the sentence, Mills ordered that the electronic devices where the images were found be forfeited. This case serves as a reminder of the serious consequences of possessing child pornography and highlights the importance of vigilant law enforcement efforts in combating these crimes.
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