Shreveport Reporter

Matthew Matherne, a 46-year-old resident of Broussard, Louisiana, has been sentenced to 210 months in federal prison for producing child pornography. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Robert L. Summerhays and includes a lifetime of supervised release.

In court, it was revealed that Matherne met a 15-year-old girl online in November 2023. He traveled from Lafayette to her state, brought her back to his home, and engaged in sexual activities with her. During this time, he took explicit images of the minor. After several weeks at Matherne's residence, the victim contacted her mother who alerted the Lafayette Police Department.

A search warrant executed at Matherne's home led officers to seize his cell phone containing the illicit images. Matherne was indicted and later pleaded guilty on May 30, 2024, admitting to using his phone for producing these images.

The investigation involved both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lafayette Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Luke Walker.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordinated efforts across federal, state, and local levels.