Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele announced today the arrest of Matthew Pappalardo, 38, of Lower Providence Township, for possessing child pornography.
According to the report, an investigation began when the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) found an encrypted chat application where users in a chat were discussing attempts to use the internet to communicate with minors for sexual purposes, exchange usernames for possible minor victims, and share sexually explicit videos and images of children.
Members in the chat were from multiple countries, including the United States, the DA said.
Members of HSI acting in an undercover capacity chatted with a chat group member identified as “TheMarquisdeSade” or “S-7,” who was discussing and sharing images of child sexual abuse material and discussing sexually abusing children, officials said. An undercover agent also privately chatted with “S-7” about his sexual experiences with minors.
Multiple search warrants were served on Google, Comcast and other companies, ultimately finding that Pappalardo was the owner and user of the “S-7” account.
Pappalardo was out of the country, but when he returned to Florida in November 2024, U.S. Customs conducted a border search of his belongings. Through a search of his cellphone, agents found social media and messaging applications where he was conversing with two juveniles believed to be 13 and 14 years old.
In these conversations, the juveniles had sent multiple sexual images to Pappalardo, the DA said. They also found a locked folder on his phone that held multiple nude photos of children.
A search warrant was served on November 16, 2024 at Pappalardo’s Lower Providence residence. Multiple electronic devices were seized and a forensic review found 167 image files and 43 videos of Child Sexual Abuse Material.
He was charged with 45 counts of Possessing Child Pornography, Criminal Use of a Communications Facility and Possessing Instruments of Crime, the DA said. He was arraigned on July 24. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 10.
Photo: DA