A Tennessee man will spend the next five years in federal prison after a routine check at a Florida cruise terminal turned up a vast collection of illegal files on his mobile device.
U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron sentenced 41-year-old Matthew Leach to 65 months in federal prison for transporting and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
The sentence, handed out in Orlando, comes after Leach submitted a guilty plea on January 20, 2026. In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered the permanent seizure of the cellphone used in the crime.
The investigation began when Leach ran into law enforcement while disembarking from a cruise liner. Officers uncovered unlawful photographs and videos on his phone while searching through his stuff.
Leach then revealed to investigators that he received and downloaded the material via several internet platforms prior to his trip. A subsequent forensic assessment of the device discovered hundreds of illegal files.
US Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced the sentencing. The investigation was a coordinated effort between US Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security. The prosecution was led by Assistant US Attorneys Noah Dorman and Courtney Richardson-Jones, while Assistant US Attorney Nicole Andrejko oversaw the lawful confiscation of the hardware.
This case is part of “Project Safe Childhood,” a Department of Justice project launched in 2006 to combine federal, state, and local resources to combat child exploitation. The program focuses on apprehending perpetrators while also identifying and rescuing victims.
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