Puerto Rico man arrested for child exploitation
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A Carolina man was arrested on criminal charges related to alleged child exploitation conduct.
On Oct. 13, special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Juan arrested Matthew John McGlone, a 33-year-old man from the city of Carolina.
A federal grand jury indicted McGlone on Oct. 12 on three counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, receipt of child exploitation material, and transfer of obscene material to a minor. This is an investigation led by the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.
According to court documents, between Sept. 11 and Oct. 5, McGlone used a cellphone and an instant messaging platform to coerce a 14-year-old boy to engage in sexual activity. During the same period, McGlone knowingly attempted to receive child exploitation material and transferred obscene material to the 14-year-old boy.
McGlone also had multiple arrest warrants from the state of Georgia related to several charges — including criminal attempt of child molestation.
“We will continue to track down those who engage in child exploitation and will hold them accountable for their criminal conduct,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico W. Stephen Muldrow. “The U.S. attorney’s office will continue its effort to protect the most vulnerable among us by aggressively prosecuting all those who prey on our children.”
“The defendant is a wanted person in the state of Georgia for similar charges. HSI has zero tolerance for those who repeatedly engage in criminal behavior against children,” said HSI San Juan Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Gonzalez-Ramos. “In this case, thanks to the collaboration of parents, teachers and social workers, our agents were able to identify suspicious child exploitation activities against a 14-year-old minor. As we have stated, the first line of defense to protect children is those who interact with them daily. HSI agents responded rapidly, and we successfully arrested the suspect to bring him before justice.”
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadia Y. Pineda-Perez of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years to life in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor; a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to 20 years for receipt of child exploitation material; and up to 10 years in prison for the transfer of obscene material to a minor. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit HSI's iGuardians program. To report suspicious activities, call (787) 729-6969.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’ largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.
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