U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced that Matthew Fisher, 51, from South Wales, NY, has pleaded guilty to the production of child pornography. The plea was entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, with a maximum possible sentence of 30 years and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango provided details on the case, stating that between June 2022 and November 2023, Fisher worked as the Associate Director of Enrollment and Management at the Gow School in South Wales, NY. Fisher lived on campus and used hidden cameras in his residence to produce or attempt to produce videos involving at least five minor males engaged in sexually explicit conduct. During the investigation, several electronic devices belonging to Fisher were seized and found to contain child pornography featuring these victims and other unidentified minors.
The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Child Exploitation Task Force led by Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia; the Town of Tonawanda Police Department under Chief James Stauffiger; the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Transit Police Department under Chief Brian Patterson; and the East Aurora Police Department under Chief Patrick Welch.
A sentencing date will be determined later.