A 23-year-old Gulf Breeze man is indicted on receipt and possession of child pornography, according to Christopher P. Canova, United States attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The indictment alleges that, between January 2014 and February 2016, Thomas E. Matassa received child pornography. The indictment further alleges that, in February 2016, he possessed child pornography involving a minor under age 12.
The defendant is currently detained at the Santa Rosa County Jail. The detention hearing and arraignment are scheduled for 12:30 p.m. March 16.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force are investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law. It is not evidence of guilt.
All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Gulf Breeze man indicted on federal child pornography charges