Northampton County man admits distribution of child sex acts
A Northampton County man admitted in Carbon County court on Monday to disseminating images of children in sex acts via the internet.
Matthew Charles Ross, 32, of Walnutport, pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual abuse of children (distribution by photo/film of child sex acts). He was originally charged with 41 counts.
The state Attorney General’s office charged Ross after an investigation by the computer crimes unit. At the time of the acts, Ross was living in a residence along Fell Street in Summit Hill, which led to the case landing in the county court.
The plea agreement with the AG has all the other charges dropped. The agreement also calls for the AG’s office to recommend a sentence of two to five years in a state correctional institution be imposed.
Judge Joseph J. Matika, who accepted the pleas, told Ross that the court was not a party to the plea agreement and he was at liberty to impose a sentence he felt was appropriate, which could be longer or shorter than the count in the agreement.
Matika ordered the adult probation office to prepare a presentence investigation report. At the request of the AG’s office, Matika also ordered a sexual offender’s assessment by the state Sexual Offenders Assessment Board. The charges fall under the provisions of Megan’s Law.
