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Williamsburg man pleads guilty to child porn charges

Posted at 1:56 PM, Oct 19, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-19 13:56:46-04

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – A 25-year-old Williamsburg man pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges of accessing with intent to view child pornography involving a prepubescent minor.

According to court documents, from August 2015 until March 2015, Edward Joseph Matish III was a member of Playpen, a hidden website dedicated to sharing child pornography.

Between October 2014 and March 2015, Matish logged into Playpen and viewed content depicting the sexual exploitation of children.

In December 2014, Matish wrote on the site that he used it to control his attraction to young girls, encouraging others like him to “[l]eave the touching to the brave souls willing to risk everything for our relief.”

Matish was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 8 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 30, 2017.

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