Quick Hit: "Operation Grayskull" nets conviction of NC man
Federal operation targeting child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) convicts 18
A federal operation targeting child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) has resulted in convictions for 18 people across the U.S., including 38-year-old Raleigh resident Matthew Branden Garrell.
According to the press release by the U.S. Department of Justice for the Southern District of Florida (DOJ SDF), Garrell was arrested in February 2023 as part of “Operation Grayskull."
Operation Grayskull also netted arrests in Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
“This operation represents one of the most significant strikes ever made against online child exploitation networks,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in the press release. “We’ve not only dismantled dangerous platforms on the dark web, but we’ve also brought key perpetrators to justice and delivered a powerful message: you cannot hide behind anonymity to harm children.”
Garrell, an N.C. State alum, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography. He was sentenced to 20 years and 10 months in federal prison on Aug. 1, 2023.
Federal prison records show Garrell's posted release date as Nov. 3, 2040, and he is serving his sentence at the FCI Coleman Low in Sumter County, Florida.
Garrell was also ordered to pay $158,600 in restitution to his victims, register as a sex offender for life once released, and is banned from owning a computer. Mental health and sex offender treatment programs are also mandatory for Garrell, whose court filings say he's struggled with depression.
According to the DOJ SDF press release, Thomas Peter Katsampes of Minnesota appears to be the leader of a CSAM ring, which was run with Garrell's help along with four other men. Katsampes ran a CSAM site on dark web referred to in court filings as “Website A."
Garrell accessed, and later became a moderator, of Katsampes' site. The website had global users who used the site to exchange CSAM of prepubescent children, some as young as toddlers and even infants.
A search for Garrell in the North Carolina voter database showed his registration as an unaffiliated voter was still active, although the last election he voted in was the 2022 General Election.
Garrell Complaint
Garrell Sentencing
Full DOJ press release
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