Folsom Man Indicted for Sexually Exploiting Minors

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment today against Matthew Goyder, 37, of Folsom, charging him with three counts of sexual exploitation of a child, distribution of child pornography, and receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, between July 2017 and March 2020, Goyder engaged in the sexual exploitation of three minor victims using the internet. In addition, he distributed and received child pornography.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children task force, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Pinellas Park Police Department, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, and the Folsom Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Yang is prosecuting the case.

If convicted of sexual exploitation of a child, Goyder faces a mandatory statutory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison up to a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted of the receipt and distribution of child pornography counts, Goyder faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison up to a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.