BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced Thursday that 53-year-old Matthew A. Steele of Elma was charged by criminal complaint with production and distribution of child pornography.
It is alleged that in January 2023, the Department of Homeland Security Cyber Crimes Center received a referral from the Queensland Police Service in Australia containing 47 sexually explicit images of a child. In September 2023, Homeland Security Investigations conducted a visual analysis of the images, some containing metadata, which helped determine the photos were taken in March 2013.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, HSI identified and located the victim. Agents executed a search warrant at Steele's home in Elma and found several images of the victim and the camera used to take the photos.
Steele appeared at a detention hearing Thursday and was ordered detained. He faces a minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.
