Elma man going to prison for 30 years for production and possession of child pornography

BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Matthew A. Steele, 55, of Elma, NY, who was convicted of production and possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, was sentenced to serve 30 years in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. In addition, Steele was ordered to pay restitution totaling $410,610 to a victim in this case.

Between July 2008, and July 2010, Steele produced images of child pornography with a minor female (victim) on several occasions from the time she was approximately nine years old until she was approximately 12 years old. Some of the images were distributed by Steele to other unknown individuals. On March 11, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant at his residence, seizing two electronic devices. A forensic review of the devices recovered numerous sexually explicit images of the victim created by Steele. In addition, 45 images of child pornography, not involving the victim, that Steele obtained over the internet were recovered. Some of the images included prepubescent minors and depicted violence against children.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Anthony Patrone, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

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