Registered Sex Offender allegedly traded images of sexual abuse of a toddler over Kik messaging platform

A 32-year-old Port Townsend man has been arrested on a criminal complaint charging him with production of images of child sexual abuse according to Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The man was identified as Matan Liyor Goodman. He was arraigned Oct. 16 in Tacoma. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for this Friday. He remains in custody.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the investigation began with a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a user of Kik Messenger had uploaded suspected images of child sexual abuse. Review of the computer records indicated the person uploading the images resided in western Washington and the information was forwarded to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at the Seattle Police Department.

An agent with Homeland Security Investigations connected the computer information with Goodman at an address in Port Townsend. Further investigation revealed that Goodman is a registered sex offender with prior convictions in California.

Law enforcement obtained a warrant to search Goodman’s home and person, including any electronic devices belonging to him. Following the search, Goodman was taken into federal custody on probable cause.

The U.S. Attorney’s office says that due to the prior convictions, Goodman faces a mandatory minimum 25 years in prison if convicted of production of child pornography.

 The U.S. Attorney says the case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May, 2006. Led by United States Attorneys offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in partnership with the Seattle Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), with assistance from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.