Ohio Man Sentenced For Selling Child Sex Abuse Videos, Images

CLEVELAND — An Ohio man has been sentenced to up to a decade in prison for selling videos and images of child sexual abuse to an undercover police officer.

Matthew Elliott, 40, was sentenced to seven to 10 years in prison on Tuesday. He was selling the material from locations in Cleveland Lakewood, court documents said.

“I am incredibly proud of the hard work that our Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force does to keep our children safe,” said Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley. “This individual exploited children for profit and will pay the price behind bars."

Live in Cleveland? Click here to subscribe to our free breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and download our free mobile app on Android or iPhone.

On Oct. 14, 2020, an anonymous tip directed Berea police to check out a suspicious website. The tip said the website housed videos and photos of child sexual abuse. After looking into it, Berea police passed the investigation to the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (Ohio ICAC).

When the state agency began exploring the website, they discovered an advertisement selling child sex abuse videos from locations in Cleveland and Lakewood. The poster shared screenshots from the videos, court documents said.

On Oct. 30, 2020, an undercover investigator contacted the poster — Elliott. The 40-year-old asked the agent for $200. Once he received the money, he sent hundreds of images of child sex abuse, court documents said.

Elliott was taken into custody on Dec. 17, 2020.

On Sept. 9, 2021, Elliott pleaded guilty to 18 counts of pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor.