Tennessee Man Receives 65 Months for Transporting Child Sexual Abuse Material

ORLANDO, Florida — Matthew Leach, a 41-year-old Tennessee resident, was sentenced to 65 months in federal prison for transportation and possession of child sexual abuse material.

U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron imposed the term on Leach, who entered a guilty plea on January 20, 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The court ordered Leach to forfeit the cellphone used to commit the offenses.

The sentence directly affects Leach, who will serve the term in federal custody followed by supervised release. Federal law requires individuals convicted of these offenses to register as sex offenders upon release, subjecting them to residency restrictions, reporting obligations, and monitoring that last for decades in many jurisdictions.

The sentencing shifts Leach from pretrial status to immediate incarceration. The Bureau of Prisons will designate a facility where he begins the 65-month term; he must also surrender the specified cellphone. Upon completion of the prison sentence, Leach enters a period of supervised release during which any violation can return him to custody. The forfeiture order takes effect immediately.

Downstream, the conviction activates mandatory sex-offender registration under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, requiring Leach to provide current photographs, address, employment, and internet identifiers to law enforcement in any jurisdiction where he resides, works, or attends school.

State authorities will receive notice from the federal case and must maintain public registry listings. Federal probation officers will supervise compliance with conditions that prohibit contact with minors and restrict internet use. The Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and local task forces gain another closed case for statistical reporting on CSAM enforcement volume.

This case is one of multiple federal prosecutions concluded in the Middle District of Florida in 2026 involving interstate transportation of child sexual abuse material via digital devices. The Department of Justice has pursued such cases under 18 U.S.C. statutes covering both transportation and possession since the PROTECT Act expansions in the early 2000s.