BULLARD, Texas — **EDITOR'S NOTE: The suspect is a local paramedic and not affiliated with the Bullard Fire Department.
An East Texas paramedic has been arrested for child pornography crimes.
According to the Smith County Sheriff's Office, on April 14, 2020, Smith County investigators received a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children stating two files were uploaded by Instagram from a user with a known IP address. Through further investigation, the SCSO determined the IP address belonged to Matthew Clearman, 43 of Lindale.
The cybertip further revealed two photographs. Officials say one photograph was of a man wearing firefighter bunker gear and a firefighter helmet. The other photograph depicted child pornography and lewd visual material. Investigators say they found a Facebook page for Clearman and saw his profile picture was the same photograph of the man in firefighter gear.
On June 12, investigators presented a search warrant affidavit to the Honorable Judge Christi Kennedy who issued a search warrant for the Clearman's Instagram account. On July 20, the SCSO says they received the records from Instagram including 88 media files.
"Investigators recovered multiple photos and one video depicting child pornography and lewd visual material depicting a child," the SCSO said in a statement. "The visual material depicted minors engaging in sexual conduct, sexual contact, sexual intercourse, deviate sexual intercourse and lewd exhibition of the genitals."
The SCSO says some of the children depicted in the images appeared to be between the ages of 7 and 16. Investigators say they also recovered text messages between Clearman and other subjects concerning the dissemination of child pornography images.
On Thursday, Judge Kerry Russell issued a search warrant for Clearman's residence in the 16000 block of Rolling Meadows in Lindale. Investigators conducted a search of the residence and recovered several multi-media devices. The SCSO says a subsequent search of these devices revealed hundreds of images of child pornography.
The following day, an arrest warrant was issued for Clearman for possession or promotion of child pornography.
On Saturday, Smith County deputies and the Bullard Police Department arrested Clearman at the Bullard Fire Station. Clearman was booked into the Smith County Jail on $500,000 bond.