A 29-year-old Lehigh Valley man has been arrested and charged, officials said, after he allegedly possessed and shared videos that depicted child sexual abuse on the internet.
Officials said, Matthew Francis, 29, of Allentown, was charged Friday with felony counts of possession of child sexual abuse material and related offenses after a investigation that began earlier this month.
According to police, on Sept. 4, 2026, officials received tips that several videos depicting child sexual abuse had been uploaded from a computer that was believed to be located at a home along the unit block of North 7th Street in Allentown.
Officials said investigators found a cell phone number tied to those images had been previously provided to police in Allentown by Francis when he made a police report in June of this year following a dispute with a neighbor.
A search of Francis’ home was conducted on Friday, police said, and investigators allege they found additional child sexual material on his cell phone at that time.
Francis has been arrested and was being held in police custody as he awaits an arraignment hearing, officials said.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 18, 2026.