Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the sentencing of MATTHEW HALSTEAD, 32, to 12 years in state prison for sexually assaulting and trafficking a 16-year-old boy for approximately five months beginning in March 2024. On December 16, 2025, HALSTEAD pleaded guilty to Sex Trafficking of a Child and Sex Trafficking, among other charges.
“Sex trafficking evolves with technology, and traffickers increasingly rely on social media and anonymous messaging applications,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Matthew Halstead trafficked this child with the help of those tools, and further used them to share images of the child’s assault and attempt to recruit more children. I thank the young survivor for his bravery in participating in the criminal process, including speaking at today’s sentencing, which will help protect other vulnerable young people.”
According to court documents and statements made on the record, and as admitted in HALSTEAD’s guilty plea, from March 1, 2024, to August 6, 2024, the 16-year-old boy – who had run away from Child Protective Services – stayed with HALSTEAD in his Washington Heights apartment. During this time period, HALSTEAD repeatedly sexually assaulted and trafficked the child. HALSTEAD took numerous photos and videos of the child engaging in sexual conduct with himself and other men, and then used those photos and videos to solicit men to pay for sexual acts with the child.
HALSTEAD posted the photos and videos on publicly available social media accounts like “X,” formerly known as Twitter. He also used Telegram, an encrypted, anonymous messaging application, to not only seek out individuals who would pay to have sexual encounters with the child, but to attempt to convince other children to engage in sexual acts with him and to sell sexual acts to others. HALSTEAD exchanged sexually explicit images and videos of other children, some as young as toddlers, with Telegram users.
On August 6, 2024, police responded to what appeared to be a roommate dispute, and the NYPD’s Manhattan Special Victims Squad and the D.A.’s Human Trafficking Unit launched an investigation.
Assistant D.A. Katherine Sullivan and former Assistant D.A. Megan Mers handled the prosecution of this case under the supervision of Assistant D.A.s Courtney Razner (Deputy Chief of the Human Trafficking Unit) and Jonathon Junig (Chief of the Human Trafficking Unit), and Executive Assistant D.A. Justin McNabney (Chief of the Special Victims Division). Senior Rackets Investigator Sean Ryan and Assistant Supervising Rackets Investigator Ariela DaSilva led the investigation, with Investigative Analysts Erin Kelly, Eva Nikitovic, and Jaden Bharara. Human Trafficking Clinical Director Melissa Martinez provided valuable assistance.
District Attorney Bragg thanked the NYPD, particularly the Manhattan Special Victims Squad and Detective Julio Jimenez, and the 34th Precinct.
Defendant Information:
MATTHEW HALSTEAD
New York, NY
Convicted:
- Sex Trafficking, a class B felony, one count
- Sex Trafficking of a Child, a class B felony, one count
- Use of a Child in a Sexual Performance as a Sexually Motivated Felony, a class C felony, one count
- Promoting a Sexual Performance by a Child, a class D felony, one count
- Criminal Sexual Act in the Third Degree, a class E felony, two counts
- Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child, a class E felony, one count
- Criminal Obstruction of Breathing or Blood Circulation, a class A misdemeanor, one count
Sentenced:
- 12 years in state prison
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