Former Yucca Valley School Employee Charged With Child Sex Abuse, Pornography Production

YUCCA VALLEY (CBSLA.com) — A former Yucca Valley school employee arrested last month for allegedly sexually abusing a child over a period of several years and sharing visual depictions of the activity online has been indicted by a federal grand jury.

The federal grand jury in Riverside returned an indictment on February 12 charging 42-year-old Matthew Frazer with production of child pornography, according to Bill Lewis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office and André Birotte, the United States Attorney for the Central District of California.

The indictment alleges Frazer knowingly enticed a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing pornography.

Frazer pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on February 19.

The case was initiated in 2013 after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provided the FBI with a series of pornographic images depicting a 4-6-year-old female being abused by a white male.

For several months, investigators attempted to identify the male depicted in the images. Frazer was identified as the suspect earlier this year.

He was arrested at his place of employment on January 31 and was charged in a federal criminal complaint that has been sealed by the court.

Prior to his arrest in January, Frazer was employed as a custodian with the Morongo Unified School District.

A trial date has been set for April 18.

If convicted of the charges in the indictment, Frazer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years, and a statutory maximum sentence of thirty years in prison.

An FBI spokesperson said in a press release evidence obtained during the investigation suggests Frazer may have victimized additional minors not yet identified.

Anyone who believes they may have information about the investigation or knowledge of possible victims is urged to contact the FBI.

The agency led the investigation with assistance from the Riverside Police Department; the Riverside County Sheriff's Department; the San Bernardino Police Department; the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department; and the San Bernardino County Probation Department.

Frazer will be prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office in Riverside, part of the Central District of California.

The investigation is ongoing.