Benson man pleads guilty to downloading and disseminating child pornography
May 22—BENSON — A Benson man pleaded guilty Thursday to 18 felony counts regarding downloading and disseminating child pornography on various social media platforms.
Matthiew Graue, 26, will appear for sentencing July 20 in Swift County District Court following a plea deal with prosecutors in which he agreed to plead guilty to 18 felony charges in exchange for the state recommending a 258-month prison sentence, about 21 1/2 years.
He is a registered predatory offender from a previous conviction in Iowa.
See related:
* Benson man jailed on 6 new child pornography charges, allegedly continued to view images after being charged with 13 felonies related to child porn
* Benson man accused of downloading child pornography
According to court records, the ages of children in the pornographic material found on Graue's phone range from infant to teenager and the acts range from nude photos to oral sex and intercourse.
Graue pleaded guilty to five felony counts of disseminate pornographic work — registered predatory offender and 13 felony counts of possess pornographic work — registered predatory offender.
One of the felony disseminate pornographic work charges was dismissed Thursday in accordance with the plea deal.
Graue was first charged in December of 2020 with downloading child pornography and additional charges of disseminating child pornography were filed in March — while he was free on supervised release awaiting trial for the original charges. He has since been held in the Swift County Jail on $100,000 bail.
