Editor’s note: This story involves subjects and imagery some may find disturbing. Read at your discretion.
CASPER — A 48-year-old Casper man pleaded guilty to eight of 12 charges of sexual exploitation of children in Natrona County District Courton Monday stemming from an investigation that involved more than 30,000 files of child pornography.
Some of the files contained images of sadomasochism as well as bestiality, according to court documents.
Matthew Nick Leslie, now free on a $100,000 cash bond, and his attorney Jeremy Hugus both appeared in court via video Monday.
Hugus told the court his client agreed to plead guilty to eight of the charges for a maximum sentence of 16 years in prison under the agreement with Natrona County Deputy District Attorney Blaine Nelson.
Nelson told District Judge Kerry Johnson that the number of years assigned to the charges would be at the court’s discretion, but each count would be served concurrently and not exceed 16 years.
Charges against Leslie stem from a 911 call by Leslie’s wife July 26, 2024, reporting that she found a compact disc that belonged to her husband that she believed contained child pornography.
Natrona County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded and later brought the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation into the case.
A supplemental arrest affidavit filed in the case shows that a DCI investigator uncovered 47 compact discs, and all but two of the imageson them contained at least one file of child pornography.
The CDs contained more than 30,000 files depicting child pornography, the affidavit states.
The Images
Images contained in the eight counts against Leslie included nude minor females in lewd poses, a nude infant boy being subjected to sexual torture with a lit candle, a nude infant bound with black rope being sexually assaulted and more.
At least two of the images involved children subjected to acts of bestiality.
Leslie closed his eyes as the judge read the titles of video files on some of the charges.
“How do you plead?” she asked on each count.
“Guilty,” he said.
During the DCI investigation, court records show Leslie told police he started viewing child pornography in the late 1990s or early 2000s.
He denied ever distributing images or having hands-on contact with a child, the affidavit states. He told the judge Monday that he has autism.
An investigator asked Leslie during the investigation why he had the CDs containing child pornography just sitting in his basement.
“The best place to hide things is in plain sight,” he was quoted in the affidavit.
Each of the sexual exploitation of children charges carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Johnson ordered a pre-sentence investigation and told Nelson and Hugus that she would decide whether to accept the plea agreement after she reviews the pre-sentence report.
Johnson continued Leslie’s $100,000 bond.
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
