Amarillo Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Transportation of Child PornographyArticle

A convicted sex offender residing in Amarillo was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution for transporting child sexual abuse material, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. In January 2026, Matthew Albert Tate, 57, pled guilty to transportation of child pornography. He was sentenced on May 27, 2026, to 480 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk.

The Court also ordered him to pay $96,500 in restitution. “This defendant chose time and time again to abuse children and proliferate sexual abuse material online. He will, rightly so, spend the rest of his life behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.

“The judge in this case also ordered that he pay restitution back to the victims for his heinous crimes. My office has and will continue to fight every day for victims of child abuse. I’m proud of the AUSA prosecuting this case – she is simply a warrior for some of the most vulnerable folks in our communities – and I thank the great agents who work tirelessly, often at a severe personal cost, to ensure that justice is done for the child victims. NDTX is lucky to have these public servants fighting on behalf of our communities.”“There is no greater betrayal than the sexual exploitation of a child and further contributing to their continued victimization through the distribution of child sexual abuse material,” said Travis Pickard, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Dallas.

“This sentence reflects the devastating harm these crimes inflict on children and sends a clear message to those who prey on our most vulnerable: HSI and its law enforcement partners will ensure you face the full force of the law for your horrific acts .”According to court records, in April 2025, law enforcement initiated an investigation into child pornography trafficking from an IP address in the Amarillo area. The user of the IP address was identified as Matthew Albert Tate. Tate was a registered sex offender for prior criminal convictions involving the sexual abuse of a child and possession of child pornography. The investigation revealed that beginning around January of 2025, Tate used an online file sharing platform to allow other users to download child sexual abuse material, including of prepubescent minors.

In May 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Tate’s Amarillo residence wherein they confiscated multiple electronic devices belonging to Tate. A forensic search revealed multiple videos and photographs of child sexual abuse material in violation of federal law. Agents were also able to determine that Tate likely transferred the files from his Dell laptop computer to another electronic storage device using Internet connections and various file-sharing platforms. Tate later admitted to law enforcement that he downloaded and saved child pornography and traded child pornography online.

Tate further admitted that he knew what he did was criminal.Additional details about Tate’s background and prior convictions were discussed at his sentencing hearing. In 1997, Tate was arrested for sexually abusing a child younger than 14 and creating child pornography of her. He also possessed child pornography of other victims. The defendant was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child, indecency with a child, and possession of child pornography for that conduct.

He was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment and was paroled in 2021 after serving approximately 24 years. He was on parole and required to register as a sex offender at the time of his arrest in May 2025 for trading child pornography with other online users. Tate also possessed a total of 3,246 individual files of child sexual abuse material on his devices, including material that involved 16 different victims who have been identified through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Homeland Security Investigations, Dallas Field Office (Amarillo Resident Agency) and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with assistance from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Parole Division.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case.The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation and brought this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc. The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.Additional details about Tate’s background and prior convictions were discussed at his sentencing hearing. In 1997, Tate was arrested for sexually abusing a child younger than 14 and creating child pornography of her. He also possessed child pornography of other victims.

The defendant was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child, indecency with a child, and possession of child pornography for that conduct. He was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment and was paroled in 2021 after serving approximately 24 years. He was on parole and required to register as a sex offender at the time of his arrest in May 2025 for trading child pornography with other online users. Tate also possessed a total of 3,246 individual files of child sexual abuse material on his devices, including material that involved 16 different victims who have been identified through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Homeland Security Investigations, Dallas Field Office (Amarillo Resident Agency) and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with assistance from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Parole Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case.The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation and brought this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S.

Attorneys’ Offices and 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc. The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.