A Canadian man was sentenced to prison after he was caught sending child sexual assault materials to an undercover agent last year.
Matthew Ballek, 32, might face deportation after serving his nearly four-year sentence.
According to court documents, in January 2024, a member of the FBI-MPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force went undercover on an internet dating service used by pedophiles.
Ballek contacted the agent, fearing he was a pedophile. He sent encrypted messages containing three files depicting men raping a toddler and prepubescent boys. Ballek was arrested in D.C. on February 7, 2024.
After searching his phone, the FBI discovered 10 videos and at least 21 photos of child sexual abuse.
Ballek pleaded guilty on October 4, 2024, and received a 46-month federal prison term on June 30. He was also ordered to serve six years of supervised release after completing his jail sentence and to register as a sex offender for 15 years.