Dexter man sentenced to 8 years for distributing child sexual abuse material

A Dexter man pleaded guilty Tuesday to promoting child sexual abuse material and was sentenced to eight years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.

Matthew Tyler Hammond, 31, entered the guilty plea in the Butler County court.

He was arrested Feb. 8, 2024, following an investigation by the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Special Victims Unit of the Division of Drug and Crime Control, with assistance from the State Technical Assistance Team.

According to court records, Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney Nicholas Jain outlined the punishment range for the Class B felony. Hammond, represented by attorney Russ Oliver, withdrew his previous not-guilty plea and pleaded guilty to the charge of first-degree promoting child pornography. A plea bargain was outlined, with the state recommending the eight-year sentence. The court found Hammond’s plea to be voluntary and factual. He waived his right to a sentencing assessment report.

The court ordered the eight-year sentence to run concurrently with any existing sentence, according to a written order.

The Feb. 8 arrest followed an investigation that revealed Hammond had distributed child sexual abuse material online. Investigators contacted Hammond at his then-Kennett home and executed a search warrant, seizing evidence that supported the distribution charges. He was then taken to the Dunklin County Jail.

Hammond was formally charged the same day.

The case was later transferred to Butler County on a change of venue request.

Hammond was released in May on a $100,000 bond and had resided in Dexter until the time of his plea.