MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - Memphis police have charged local talk show host Thaddeus Matthews with three felonies after posting child porn on his Facebook page. Upon his release from jail, the self-proclaimed "baddest man on the radio and internet" walked out of Shelby County Jail defiant as ever.
Matthews called the charges "totally ludicrous."
"Three separate felony charges for me placing a picture on the internet to save a child."
The problem is the picture he posted on his Facebook page showed a child, who may be as young as two years old, being forced to perform a sex act on a man.
"There was a child I felt was in danger… I went after the perpetrator of a child," he said. "Maybe my judgment should have been better and grant it, it should have."
Matthews says when the MPD's Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit called him as he was doing his internet show and asked if he could come down to the police station, "My gut feeling told me, 'You going to jail.'"
His gut was right. Police charged Matthews with sexual exploitation of a minor, aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor.
"I don't think it's fair," he said, "you treated me like a common criminal."
Matthew retorted, "I'm the king pin of porn in this town because I tried to save a child's life."
He said after a couple hours of questioning downtown at police headquarters, it became apparent he wasn't going home.
"It doesn't hit you until they put the handcuffs on you… last night was a unique experience."
He says while in jail all he could think about was, "I'm going to hire a good attorney. I have to."
Matthews is out on a $100,000 bond. If convicted on the more serious charge of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, Matthews could get 12 years in prison.
He'll make his first court appearance Friday morning.
Shortly after Matthew's arrest, an MPD spokesperson stated in a news release, "ICAC is currently investigating further into this incident and is also attempting to discover the orientation of the original photo. At this time, investigators believe that through other investigative leads, more charges are to follow."
