Evergreen Reporter

A Sanford man, Matthew Reed Dione, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity. U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza delivered the sentence, which also includes the forfeiture of two hard drives and a cellphone used in committing the offense. Dione had entered a guilty plea on July 2, 2024.

Court documents reveal that Dione, at age 32, met a child victim through a teen dating website. He engaged in inappropriate conversations with the victim before taking them from their home late at night to his residence where he sexually abused and recorded the child. This abuse continued until the victim reached adulthood.

In January 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Dione's home and seized multiple electronic devices. A forensic analysis uncovered numerous videos and images of child sexual abuse, some depicting minors with Dione's name written on their bodies. The investigation identified three additional victims from materials found on his devices, indicating that Dione had targeted teenage girls for over ten years.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney D. Richardson-Jones.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project aims to marshal federal, state, and local resources to locate offenders who exploit children and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.