Daniel P. Bubar Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina
A federal jury has convicted Joseph Matthew Dobbs, a Raleigh resident, for possessing child sexual abuse material on his work-issued laptop. Dobbs, 45, faces a mandatory minimum of ten years in prison at his sentencing scheduled for July.
Court documents reveal that Dobbs, who was employed as an IT support engineer for a multinational tech company, was found in possession of the material while working from home. In November 2022, a supervisor noticed Dobbs viewing content on his laptop that appeared to be child sexual abuse material. Following this, the company terminated Dobbs and forwarded screenshots to law enforcement. The Raleigh Police Department conducted a search of Dobbs's apartment, seizing the laptop. Investigations uncovered over 300 image files showing child sexual abuse on the device, covering abuse of infants and toddlers as well as depictions of bondage. The jury confirmed Dobbs's guilt, emphasizing the presence of images of prepubescent minors.
Dobbs's criminal history includes a 2006 conviction in Virginia for multiple offenses, including carnal knowledge of a child, using a computer to solicit a minor, and manufacturing sexually explicit material. After serving seven years in prison, Dobbs was still on probation for these past convictions.
The announcement of the recent verdict came from Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Daniel P. Bubar. U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle accepted the jury's decision. The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Raleigh Police Department, while Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lori Warlick and Logan Liles prosecuted the case.
Further information on related court documents can be found on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina's website or via PACER using Case No.5:24-CR-182.
