A Shippensburg Borough police detective is behind bars on federal child-pornography charges, accused of using cryptocurrency to buy child sexual abuse material on the darknet. A federal grand jury indicted 36-year-old Detective Matthew S. Pleisse on May 6, 2026, and the case was unsealed after a detention hearing on May 19, when a chief magistrate judge ordered him held pending trial.
Inside the federal indictment
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the indictment alleges Pleisse received, attempted to receive, and possessed child pornography on multiple occasions between July 2024 and April 2025. Prosecutors say he used cryptocurrency to purchase the material from vendors operating on the darknet.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office identifies Homeland Security Investigations as the lead agency on the case and notes that Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Dukes is prosecuting. Each count carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years if Pleisse is convicted.
What prosecutors say they found
Prosecutors contend Pleisse bought child sexual abuse material on darknet marketplaces and later possessed files that allegedly depicted prepubescent minors, CBS Pittsburgh reports. The indictment was returned on May 6 and unsealed following the May 19 detention hearing, according to court filings and local reporting.
"The indictment alleges that Pleisse utilized cryptocurrency to purchase and possess child sexual abuse material, actions that are reprehensible and illegal," HSI Philadelphia Acting Special Agent in Charge Nathan Abel said in the U.S. Attorney’s Office news release.
Department fallout in a small college town
Shippensburg borough officials have placed Pleisse on administrative leave and say the police department is cooperating with federal investigators, WGAL reports. The allegations have rattled residents in the small college town, where local leaders are calling for transparency as the federal case moves ahead.
Borough officials have not released any internal findings while the federal prosecution is underway, and there has been no public indication of disciplinary conclusions beyond the administrative leave.
Legal stakes and what comes next
The U.S. Attorney’s Office described the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, the nationwide Department of Justice initiative focused on combating online child sexual exploitation, per reporting by CBS Pittsburgh. Pleisse remains detained following the May 19 hearing, as federal prosecutors move toward pretrial motions and a forensic review of any seized digital evidence.
As with all indictments, the charges are allegations at this stage. If Pleisse is ultimately convicted, the statutory penalties outlined by prosecutors include substantial prison time followed by supervised release.
Hoodline will continue tracking court filings and local reaction as the case develops and will report any major scheduling changes, new filings, or departmental actions in follow-up coverage.
