Computer Forensics nabs Child Pornography Suspect

NEW YORK – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents took a Long Island man into custody at his home on Feb. 12. The arrest was announced by U.S. Attorney Benton J. Campbell, Eastern District of New York, and ICE Special Agent in Charge James T. Hayes Jr.

Matthew Sasbon, 29, of Mastic, N.Y., admitted to having downloaded and saved pictures and videos of child pornography on thumb drives seized by ICE agents.

According to the complaint, Sasbon admits to trading pictures using the Internet and to viewing child pornography, some of the victims as young as newborns, as recently as two weeks ago.

A preliminary computer forensic examination of a computer in Sasbon’s home revealed a number of video files of apparent child pornography involving prepubescent girls.

“Predators who think they can hide are mistaken – we have agents with the know-how and technology to find them,” said Hayes. “Child pornography is a heinous crime that physically and mentally scars the most vulnerable members of our society – our children.”

The investigation began in Oct. 2008 after ICE special agents with the Child Exploitation Section discovered a publicly accessible Web site used to send and receive child pornography over the Internet. The investigation revealed the Internet address (IP address) was subscribed to Matthew Sasbon’s father.

ICE investigators discovered online chats in which Sasbon used various usernames on his father’s IP address to allegedly receive child pornography and expressed his interest and desire to sexually exploit young children.

This case was part of Operation Predator, which is a nationwide ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.