U.S. Army Capt. Matthew Clark was sentenced Aug. 1, 2024, at Kleber Kaserne in Kaiserslautern, Germany, after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography. Clark’s punishment is a year in prison and dismissal from the Army. (Alexander Riedel/Stars and Stripes)
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — An Army officer with nearly two decades of service was sentenced Thursday to a year and a day in prison and dismissal from the military after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography.
Capt. Matthew Clark’s sentence was handed down by Lt. Col. Thomas Hynes after a daylong court session at Kleber Kaserne. Based on his guilty plea, Clark faced up to 10 years in prison.
Clark, 44, was originally charged with five counts of child pornography possession but pleaded guilty to only one count as part of his agreement with prosecutors.
The decision to be tried by a judge instead of a jury was made after his arraignment in March, leading to Thursday’s proceedings.
A former enlisted soldier on active-duty orders as a reservist, Clark was stationed in Stuttgart in March 2022, when his then-girlfriend, Sophia Wagner, found the explicit imagery on his personal laptop, prosecutors said.
Clark was last assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, said Maj. Javon Starnes, a command spokesman.
“Captain Clark participated in the abuse of at least nine different children, as noted in the stipulation of fact,” lead prosecutor Capt. Victoria Jones said. “Every viewing, every download is another iteration of that abuse.”
The court also reviewed impact statements from victims representatives that detailed the enduring trauma caused by the exploitation in the imagery downloaded and viewed by Clark.
Wagner, a German citizen, met Clark as a renter in her parents’ property. She attended the hearing but was not allowed to testify because the court ruled that she was not a direct victim.
“It was hard (to see this imagery), especially because I work as a preschool teacher and deal with young children every day,” Wagner said in an interview Thursday.
“It deeply affected my trust in people. I realized that these children will suffer for the rest of their lives because of what was done to them.”
The defense underscored Clark’s lengthy record of service. Over his 18-year career, he completed four combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq and received numerous accolades, including the Air Medal for his actions as a Black Hawk crew chief and door gunner.
Attorney Joseph Jordan sought leniency for Clark, telling the judge that he makes the mortgage payments for his elderly mother and has been receiving psychological treatment for the past two years.
Clark also made a statement to the court in which he expressed remorse for his actions.
“I believe people should acknowledge their mistakes and stand up and take responsibility,” he said. “I’ve crossed the line, but I’ve never intentionally tried to hurt anyone.”
As a result of his dismissal from the Army, Clark will lose military benefits such as his pension.
Wagner told Stars and Stripes that although Clark had taken a measure of responsibility, her “heart aches for the children” affected by his crime.
“Justice doesn’t always equate to true fairness, especially when considering the lifelong impact on these young victims,” she said.
