SAN FRANCISCO — A Mountain View man was sentenced to four years in federal prison for possessing thousands of child pornography files, including videos depicting young kids being tortured and raped, court records show.
Min Hao Wu, 36, who also goes by Matt Wu, was sentenced last month by U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman. He was also ordered to pay $35,000 in fines and fees and a to-be-determined amount of restitution.
Wu was arrested and charged last year after authorities followed up on a tip involving peer-to-peer child pornography downloading. The videos included prepubescent children being sexually abused, as well as torture and beating videos. Wu allegedly described himself as a “hebephile,” or someone who is attracted to teens, but prosecutors noted he was actively searching for “pre teen” videos, authorities said in court records.
During a 50-minute interview with police, Wu initially said he believed it to be a “victimless crime” but later acknowledged he was “enabling more people to download it,” by leaving it on his computer.
Wu’s attorney included multiple support letters from family and noted that Wu is “deeply ashamed.”
“He understands the harm caused the children used to produce pornography, and he is deeply remorseful about his conduct,” the attorney, Erik Babcock, wrote in a sentencing memo. “He has spent the last year plus since agents raided his home trying to understand what led him to commit the crime, the harms that it causes, and making sure it never happens again.”
