A Kentucky man indicted in 2021 on six counts of distribution of child pornography pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to one count and faces a possible maximum prison term of 20 years when he comes up for sentencing later this year.
Matthew David Buck Dexter, 44, was indicted Dec. 8, 2021, on six counts of distribution of child pornography after an FBI online employee working undercover received a private message over the KIK messaging app from a user later identified as Dexter.
According to a criminal complaint affidavit, Dexter contacted the undercover agent via the messaging app Sept. 29, 2021. During the conversation, the complaint said, Dexter discussed engaging in sex acts with the undercover's purported minor daughter and distributed multiple images and videos containing child pornography.
After obtaining information regarding a KIK account user communicating with an undercover officer, information obtained from Google indicated the user had accessed multiple IP addresses across multiple states -- including Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado -- using an untraceable Tracfone cellular phone with an Arkansas area code through a Verizon network that was purchased in Mountain Home. Further investigation revealed the user had last purchased an airtime card from a Walmart Supercenter in Spearfish, S.D.
Surveillance video from the store showed a white male with long gray or white hair and a gray or white beard with a tattoo on his right forearm making a purchase at the same time and register number provided by Verizon, the complaint said.
A review of call records traced back to the phone number identified multiple telephone calls to various churches and shelters throughout the western United States as well as numerous calls to an individual in Mountain Home, according to the complaint.
Location information received in September 2021 showed the phone to be located in Kingman, Ariz., the complaint said, and a query to the Kingman Police Department turned up information confirming that Dexter was the individual shown on the surveillance video.
Flanked by federal marshals while wearing red jail scrubs from the Shelby County Detention Center in Tennessee and sporting a dagger tattoo prominent on his right forearm, Dexter was escorted into the courtroom Monday for a plea hearing before Chief U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall Jr. and seated with his attorney, James Harry Phillips of Little Rock.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Bryant told Marshall that Dexter had agreed to plead guilty to one distribution count in exchange for the dismissal of the remaining five counts contained in the indictment. She said the statutory penalties for the offense include a sentence ranging between five years and 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 and a term of supervised release ranging from five years to life.
If, she said, it turns out Dexter has a prior sex offense conviction, he would be subject under federal sentencing statutes to an enhanced sentencing range of 15 years to 40 years in prison.
"Mr. Dexter was arrested in Arizona," Bryant said. "He admitted to distributing child pornography when he was high on methamphetamine."
Under Marshall's questioning, Dexter said he was born and raised in Knott County, "over by Hazard in the eastern part of the United States ... right before you go into Virginia."
"I'm bumfuzzled about why we're here in the Eastern District of Arkansas when Mr. Dexter said his home is in Kentucky where he grew up," Marshall said to Bryant. "Your plea facts indicate an arrest in Arizona."
"The undercover was here in Arkansas," Bryant said, "in the eastern district when he was messaging with Mr. Dexter."
After obtaining Dexter's guilty plea to the single count, Marshall quizzed him further regarding the offense conduct.
"Were you part of this KIK group?" Marshall asked. "Did you share this video ... that Ms. Bryant cited earlier? Did you share it with this person who turned out to be an undercover officer?"
Dexter answered yes to all three questions.
"Did you know what was in the video?" Marshall asked.
"Yes," Dexter answered. "I did."
Under further questioning, Dexter confirmed he was aware the video depicted child sexual abuse material between a minor female and an adult male.
"Tell me about this KIK group," Marshall said. "Is that a chat room?"
"It's just a small messenger app," Dexter said.
"I believe you when you tell me you did these things," Marshall said. "I believe your decision was knowing and voluntary."
Marshall told Dexter he will be sentenced later this year after completion of a pre-sentencing report by the U.S. Probation Office.
"That's not something I can do today," Marshall said, "because I don't know enough about you and your background and what exactly happened here."