ICE seeks public's help to locate Alabama felon wanted for child pornography

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) urgently seeks the public’s help to locate a convicted Alabama sex offender wanted on a federal arrest warrant issued in June for receipt of child pornography in the Northern District of Alabama.

Matthew C. Harbin, 28, of Arab, Alabama, is a convicted felon who pleaded guilty in 2009 to state charges of transmitting obscene material to a minor. He is the latest fugitive to be profiled on the ICE smartphone app, seeking public tips on at-large and unknown child predator suspects.

HSI special agents have reason to believe Harbin may be hiding somewhere in northern or southern Alabama, or Florida, in an attempt to elude law enforcement. HSI also believes Harbin may pose a threat to others and/or may attempt to flee the country to avoid capture.

Harbin is 6 feet, 2 inches tall, weighs 200 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes.

HSI requests that anyone with information about this person contact the agency immediately by calling the 24-hour HSI Tip line at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. The public can also submit an online tip at www.ice.gov/tips/ or by downloading the Operation Predator smartphone app and submitting a tip via the app.

All tips will remain anonymous. Individuals should not attempt to apprehend the suspect personally.

This investigation is being conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 10,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2013, more than 2,000 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI’s Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.

HSI is a founding member and current chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.