PHOENIX — A youth soccer referee and Junior Achievement volunteer was arrested Sunday, accused of possessing child pornography.
Matthew Hays, 41, was arrested at his home while police executed a search warrant on Sunday.
The investigation started in early June when the Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children task force received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that they referred to Homeland Security Investigations and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office to look into.
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The tip showed that an investment account had made multiple cryptocurrency transactions to addresses attributed to illegal child material.
The transactions, according to court paperwork, took place between February 17 and April 2.
The tip also alleged that Hays is a volunteer for Junior Achievement of Arizona and a youth referee for the U.S. Soccer Federation. Officials with Junior Achievement of Arizona tell ABC15 that Hays "volunteered for a [Junior Achievement] event one time seven years ago, in early 2019."
In July, search warrants of Hays' home and devices were granted, which was executed on July 19.
On those devices, police found at least ten different files of child pornography.
Hays' bond was set at $250,000 cash only.
Court paperwork indicates that police have more files to go through, and additional charges could come after those are reviewed.
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