U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo has announced that Matthew Fisher, a 51-year-old resident of South Wales, NY, has pleaded guilty to production of child pornography. The plea was entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, with a maximum possible sentence of 30 years and a fine of up to $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango provided details on the case, stating that between June 2022 and November 2023, Fisher was employed as the Associate Director of Enrollment and Management at the Gow School, a private boarding school located in South Wales, NY. During his tenure at the school where he also resided on campus, Fisher used hidden cameras in his residence to create and attempt to create videos involving at least five minor males engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Investigators seized several electronic devices from Fisher which contained child pornography featuring these five victims as well as other unidentified minors.
The investigation leading to this plea was conducted by multiple law enforcement agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Child Exploitation Task Force under Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia; the Town of Tonawanda Police Department led by Chief James Stauffiger; the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Transit Police Department under Chief Brian Patterson; and the East Aurora Police Department headed by Chief Patrick Welch.
A date for sentencing will be determined later.
