A 46-year-old Grand Rapids man already listed on Michigan's sex offender registry was sentenced Thursday to 17.5 years in federal prison, followed by eight years of supervised release, after admitting he distributed child sexual abuse material he traded online. Matthew David Coad had faced two charges, but a possession count was dropped during the sentencing hearing after he pleaded guilty to the distribution charge.
A Forensic Search Turned Up Hundreds of Files
According to WOODTV.com, Coad admitted to Michigan State Police that he had traded and downloaded pornographic photos and videos of minors through an online, location-based hookup site. A forensic search of his phone later turned up hundreds of these photos and videos, the station reported.
Coad was also ordered to pay a $1,500 fine and $12,000 in restitution as part of the sentence. The station's report notes he was previously convicted of second-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a victim under 13 years old, and he has been on the Michigan Sex Offender Registry since 2015.
Case Traces Back to a Nationwide Crackdown
Coad was one of two West Michigan men charged in April as part of the Department of Justice's Operation Iron Pursuit, per the same account. The department has described the initiative as a one-month, nationwide enforcement effort, and federal authorities said it led to the arrest of more than 350 child sexual abuse offenders, according to a Department of Justice announcement.
The operation has produced cases well beyond Grand Rapids. In Maryland, two men — Tarif Jahmil Alston of Baltimore and Gleybar Josue Ramirez-Clemente of Frederick — faced indictment on charges of sexually exploiting children tied to the same effort, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland.
Another Michigan Case
In February, federal prosecutors accused Cody P. Peterson of receipt and distribution of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, and possession of and access with intent to view child pornography.
