Canadian National Pleads Guilty To Possession Of Child Sex Abuse Videos
Monday, October 7, 2024, 12:30 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
WASHINGTON, DC.- On Friday, October 4, 2024, Matthew Norman Ballek, 32, of Saskatchewan, Canada, appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton to one count of Possession of Child Pornography.
According to U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, the guilty plea stems from an investigation into Ballek’s January 2024 distribution of child sexual abuse material to an undercover law enforcement agent.
According To Court Documents
According to documents filed with the court in January 2024, a member of the Federal Bureau of Investigation assigned to the Metropolitan Police Department’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force was monitoring an online dating application in an undercover capacity. Law enforcement officials learned that the dating application is sometimes utilized by individuals who have a sexual interest in children.
Ballek contacted the undercover agent and, believing he was communicating with a pedophile, expressed an interest in child pornography. Ballek later sent the undercover agent three video files via an encrypted messaging application.
Those video files depicted adult men raping toddlers and prepubescent boys. Ballek was arrested in the District of Columbia on February 7, 2024. During his arrest, FBI agents seized and later forensically examined Ballek’s cell phone, which contained 10 unique videos and at least 21 unique still digital images of child pornography.
Sentencing Scheduled For March 2025
Ballek has remained in custody since his February 7, 2024, arrest. Following his guilty plea, Judge Walton accepted Ballek’s plea and scheduled sentencing for March 21, 2025. At that time, Ballek faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
In addition, Ballek will be required to register as a sex offender in the national database and potentially have to pay $3,000 in restitution to any identified victim depicted in the videos or digital images.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child exploitation and abuse.
