GETTYSBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – A Gettysburg man who was already a registered sex offender has been charged after allegations of new predatory behavior involving a nine year old Michigan girl.
Adams County District Attorney Brian Sinnett announced new charges have been filed against Matthew Brian Berresford for sexual abuse of children as a result of alleged solicitation and dissemination of child pornography with the girl in Michigan.
According to a criminal complaint, an officer with the Menominee Police Department responded to an address after the parents learned their daughter created a Youtube channel with her phone number and was contacted by an unknown person.
The unknown person learned the girl was in sixth grade and claimed to be in 11th grade. The man, identified by police as Berresford, allegedly solicited and received intimate images from the girl and sent her explicit images. Police say conversations between the girl and Berresford were also sexually explicit.
Police say the number used to contact the girl matched that of Berresford in Gettysburg. Police obtained a search warrant and recovered clothing and bedding that matched from images sent to the girl. Tattoos also matched on Berresford from images sent to the girl, according to police.
Berresford was charged with one count of sexual abuse of children (child pornogrpahy), criminal use of a communication facility, sexual abuse of children, and unlawful contact with a minor. Berresford is also facing a drug-related felony for possessing a pipe and scale.
Berresford was arraigned with bail set at $1,000,000 along with restrictive conditions should he post bail. As of Wednesday afternoon, Berresford had not posted bail and remained in the Adams County Prison.
A preliminary hearing is set for July 6 at 11 a.m.
The charges were filed after an investigation by Adams County detectives, Pennsylvania State Police, the Menominee Police Department in Michigan, and the FBI.