Crime & Safety

Affidavit: Porn Convict Sought Child Porn on Web

The sworn affidavit details the conditions of Robert Matheson's arrest in Canada, the search and discovery of child porn on his laptop, and the reasoning behind the Monday evening search of his home.

Robert Matheson viewed the child porn imagery on his laptop as a "novelty," sought stories about the abuse of a 10-year-old boys on a gay erotica website, indicated that he wanted to find a man who could pass as his grandson and wanted the "privilege" to "guide and teach young boys through puberty," according to a sworn affidavit. (Warning, the affidavit contains graphic descriptions. It can be read to the right of this article.)

The affidavit, submitted by Department of Homeland Security Special Agent Ricardo J. Rodriguez, was attached to the search warrant for the 66-year-old Matheson's Sierra Madre home.

Rodriguez, who is assigned to the agency's Child Exploitation Investigations Group, outlined Matheson's original arrest in Canada, which uncovered the bevy of disturbing imagery on his laptop. The affidavit also goes into graphic detail about the material on Matheson's laptop, which contained thousands of images, more than 200 videos and literary features focused on young boys and sex.

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One excerpt from the affidavit, taken from a Canadian investigator's questioning of Matheson in October, outlined that Matheson didn't originally see an issue with the imagery found in his computer.

MATHESON stated that he knew material on his laptop was prohibited, but he had just not got around to deleting it. MATHESON also claimed that the last time he searched for child pornography was two to three years ago. MATHESON further stated that at one time, he found the types of images on his computer to be a "novelty" and that as long as the boys were not under duress, images of boys engaged in sex is acceptable.

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Some of the other notes in the affidavit include:

  • Matheson cited photography as one of his hobbies, and that he keeps copies of images on his computer as well as CDs. The file creation dates for the material on his laptop also spanned a roughly two-year period, from April 2009 to May 2011.
  • Matheson wasn't alone when he traveled to Canada in October. He was in the company of a 28-year-old male, who would later tell investigators that he and Matheson met over the Internet when he was 18. Matheson paid for his ticket.
  • Matheson "actively" looked for erotic stories on the Internet featuring boys assaulted by their fathers or grandfathers.
  • Sierra Madre Police Chief Marilyn Diaz said neighbors of Matheson noted a "flurry of activity" at Matheson's house since the publication of an article in a newspaper about his arrest.

The Sierra Madre Police Department is also as police investigate any potential related crimes. So far, none has come forward.

Other Matheson stories


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