Warning: Details may be extremely disturbing to some readers
WASHINGTON, USA – Federal prosecutors are urging a judge to sentence Canadian national Matthew Norman Ballek from Outlook, Sask., to more than eight years in prison (97 months) after he pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing violent sadistic child sexual abuse material involving toddlers and young boys.
Matthew Ballek, a then World Bank of Canada employee, admitted in October 2024 to one count of possession of child pornography. According to U.S. court documents, Ballek, engaged in graphic online discussions with an undercover FBI agent before sharing videos depicting extreme, sadistic sexual abuse of prepubescent boys, some as young as toddlers.
“The child pornography videos that the defendant distributed were particularly violent and involved particularly vulnerable children,” wrote the prosecutor. “Several of the videos shared by the defendant depicted the forced painful rape of toddlers and prepubescent boys by adult men.”
Court heard that the videos depicted “toddlers and infants who are crying in pain as they are being raped in the anus by adult men.”
The case started in January 2024 when an FBI agent, posing as an individual interested in exploitative material, posted in an online chat room frequented by those seeking illicit content. Ballek responded, sending private messages before moving the conversation to the encrypted messaging app Telegram.
U.S. State Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said Ballek sent three disturbing videos to the undercover agent, including one showing an adult male sexually assaulting a toddler. A subsequent search of Ballek’s D.C. apartment on Feb. 7, 2024, uncovered his cellphone, which contained at least 10 additional child pornography videos and 21 images.
Prosecution pushes for harsh sentence
In a sentencing memorandum filed Monday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia argued that Ballek’s actions warrant a 97-month prison term – the low end of the federal sentencing guidelines – followed by 10 years of supervised release.
“[Ballek] was a participant in the market for images of child sexual abuse material,” said the prosecutor. “The defendant purposefully sought to participate in this market, by seeking other like-minded individuals on-line and engaging with them in the consumption of child sexual abuse material.”
The prosecutor emphasized the lasting harm to victims, citing Supreme Court precedent that child pornography inflects “ongoing trauma” each time an image is viewed. Prosecutors also noted Ballek’s lack of prior criminal history but argued his education and professional success made his actions even more inexplicable.
Court heard that Ballek had admitted to an undercover FBI officer that he has a long-standing sexual interest in children and that he had acted on this sexual appetite in the past.
"Specifically, [Ballek] admitted that he participated in the sexual abuse of a toddler whose father he met on the social media app ‘Grindr.’ [Ballek] also asked the undercover officer if he would ‘share’ his purported eight-year-old daughter, in an apparent attempt to engage with the officer in acts of sexual abuse against this child.
“He also implied to the undercover officer that he has engaged in the sexual abuse of children ‘abroad’ and commented to the officer that he should ‘go abroad’ with him in order to engage in sexual acts with children outside the legal protection of the laws of the United States,” state court documents.
Court heard that Ballek had taken “relatively sophisticated steps to make his illegal conduct harder to detect.”
District Attorney describes history and background of Ballek
District Attorney Pirro said Ballek is “an intelligent, well-educated young man, with strong family support.”
She added that at the time he committed the offences he had graduated with honours from McGill University and had a master’s degree in financial economics and was employed as an investment analyst making $100,000 a year.
“It’s difficult to imagine why someone with these advantages in life would choose to risk everything he has earned and has been given, by engaging in dangerous and harmful criminal conduct like the defendant has done in this case,” said District Attorney Pirro.
“[Ballek’s] choice to engage in this harmful and risky behaviour, even when he has apparently not been suffering from any diminished capacity or other mitigating condition, demonstrates a stunning lack of empathy for the vulnerable young children who are the victims of [his] crimes,” said Pirro. “This mindset poses a serious risk to the community, and demonstrates the defendant’s need for specialized treatment to address his dangerous criminal behaviour.”
According to Ballek’s LinkedIn, he had been living in Washington, D. C., working as a financial risk specialist for The World Bank for more than two years. His LinkedIn also states he worked for the Bank of Canada for five years as a senior financial specialist and was a program manager in LGBT capital markets to “empower LGBT+ talent." He obtained his Bachelor of Arts from McGill University and his Master of Financial Economics from Western University.
Plea deal offered last year
In May 2024, the U.S. District Attorney’s office offered Ballek a plea deal.
Ballek’s defence lawyers have not yet filed their sentencing memorandum, but similar cases often involve arguments for reduced terms based on psychological factors or acceptance of responsibility.
U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton, who is presiding over the case, will determine Ballek’s fate at an upcoming hearing. The court will also consider restitution for victims under the Amy, Vicky and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act in the U.S., which mandates compensation for survivors of child exploitation.
“It is terrible enough that a child must live with the memory of his or her initial abuse,” said Pirro. “It is hard to even comprehend how that child could then learn to cope with the fact that strangers everywhere are using the worst moments of that child’s life to sexually gratify themselves and that he or she can do nothing to stop them from continuing to do so. The only recourse that these children have is the strong enforcement of the laws that hold these offenders accountable for the tremendous damage they have inflicted upon countless child victims."
See how Sask Ice catches child predators
For an inside look at how Saskatchewan ICE officers catch child predators click on this story An inside look into how Sask ICE investigators catch child predators
If you have been a victim, there is help available
If you have been a victim of sexual violence, ensuring you are safe and supported is the first step. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
If you do not feel comfortable contacting the police, you can reach out to people you trust. You or someone acting on your behalf can also reach out to a sexual assault support agency, a Victim Services program or helpline.
In Regina call 306-522-2777 or email [email protected]
In Saskatoon call 306-244-2294 or email [email protected]
In the Battlefords call 306-445-2727 or email [email protected]
In Prince Albert call 306-764-1039 or email [email protected]
