A Raleigh man, Joseph Matthew Dobbs, 45, has been sentenced to 135 months in federal prison after being convicted for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The sentencing follows his conviction by a federal jury earlier this year.
U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle stated, “Predators who target children have no place in our communities. This office will pursue them relentlessly, charge them aggressively, and make sure they face the consequences they deserve. We will always stand up for the most vulnerable and protect the families of this district. This criminal won’t bother our children for at least 11 years.”
Court documents show that in November 2022, Dobbs was working remotely as an IT support engineer for a multinational technology company when a supervisor noticed suspicious content on his work-issued laptop during a routine remote session. The company terminated Dobbs’ employment immediately and provided law enforcement with screenshots of the material.
The Raleigh Police Department obtained a search warrant for Dobbs’ apartment and seized the laptop. Investigators reviewed both the device and the company’s backup servers, discovering over 300 images of CSAM, many depicting children under 12 years old.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lori Warlick and Logan Liles prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Raleigh Police Department.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. Project Safe Childhood brings together federal, state, and local resources to find and prosecute individuals who exploit children online and to identify victims. More information can be found at Justice.gov/PSC.
