CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051
BUFFALO, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Matthew Bald, 40, of Lockport, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor by a person having a prior conviction for sexual abuse, aggravated sexual abuse, or abusive sexual contact involving a minor or ward. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Rudroff, who is handling the case, stated that in November 2011, Bald was convicted in Niagara County Court of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree and sentenced to serve six months in prison and 10 years’ probation. On December 15, 2020, while still on probation, Bald possessed more than 600 images of child pornography on a laptop computer. Some of the images of child pornography depicted prepubescent minors.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski, the Niagara County Probation Department, under the direction of Director John Cicchetti, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
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