COLUMBIA, S.C. – During a sentencing hearing Dec. 11 at the Matthew J. Perry, Jr. Courthouse, a non-commissioned officer was sentenced by federal Judge Cameron McGowan Currie to 87 months in prison and 25 years supervised release for possessing child pornography.
Staff Sgt. Matthew Valkinburg, 35, pleaded guilty to his crime in federal court during his trial held earlier on Aug. 20.
Valkinburg, a satellite communications operator, assigned to the 193rd Infantry Brigade, Fort Jackson, S.C., is also required to pay the victims $124,500 in restitution as part of his sentence.
On Aug. 10, 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a cybertip from the electronic service provider, Discord. The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division executed a search warrant on Feb. 6, 2024, and seized Valkinburg’s electronic devices.
An Army digital forensic examiner identified that four of his devices contained 234 images and 106 videos of child sexual abuse material. Valkinburg obtained the images while living in El Paso, Colo. and Fort Jackson.
There were 17 known child victims who provided victim impact statements for the sentencing hearing.
This case was prosecuted by Lt. Col. Amanda P. Beckham, a prosecutor in Second Circuit, Army Office of Special Trial Counsel and Scott Matthews, Assistant United States Attorney, District of South Carolina. Beckham was appointed as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for purposes of prosecuting the case in federal court, a first for an OSTC prosecutor.
“This case was expertly developed from investigation to indictment and then finally to a sentencing hearing due to the professional interagency coordination between the United States Attorney’s Office, Army CID’s Fort Jackson Resident Agency, the El Paso Colorado County Sheriff’s Office and the Office of Special Trial Counsel at Fort Jackson,” Beckham said.
“Today’s sentencing underscores our commitment to the protection of our children," said Special Agent in Charge Al Diaz of Army CID’s Carolinas Field Office. "We will continue to diligently investigate these heinous crimes and support our partners in their prosecution.”
The location where Valkinburg will serve his prison sentence has yet to be determined. Upon release he will be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements.
The Army Office of Special Trial Counsel is comprised of specially trained military lawyers, legal professionals and support staff responsible for the expert and independent prosecution of murder, sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, kidnapping and other serious criminal offenses. Headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va., OSTC has eight regional headquarters that oversee 28 field offices located across the country to include Europe and Korea. For more information visit https://www.army.mil/ostc.
If you would like to report a crime, have information about a crime, or have been the subject or survivor of a crime, you can submit anonymous tips to Army CID at www.p3tips.com/armycid.
| Date Taken: | 12.17.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.17.2025 16:47 |
| Story ID: | 554662 |
| Location: | COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Army Special Trial Counsel appointed as Special Assistant United States Attorney prosecutes non-commissioned officer sentenced in South Carolina federal court for child pornography, by Michelle McCaskill, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
