Matthew Valkinburg, a 35-year-old former soldier from Pueblo, Colorado, has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing child sexual abuse material. At the time of the offense, Valkinburg was stationed at Fort Jackson.
Investigators found that Valkinburg began uploading child sexual abuse material to his Discord account in 2023 while he was stationed in Colorado. Local authorities traced accounts linked to Valkinburg as being responsible for distributing the illegal content. After his transfer to Fort Jackson, Army investigators executed a search warrant at his residence on base and discovered child sexual abuse material on several electronic devices, including his cell phone.
United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Valkinburg to 87 months in prison. Following his release, he will be under court-ordered supervision for 25 years. There is no parole in the federal system. Valkinburg must also pay $124,000 in restitution and register as a sex offender for life.
The prosecution of this case falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the U.S. Department of Justice in May 2006 to address child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The project brings together federal, state, and local resources to find and prosecute offenders and help victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at http://www.justice.gov/psc.
The Army Criminal Investigation Division led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Matthews and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Beckham are prosecuting the case.
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