Ulster County Man Assumed He Was Having Sexual Conversations With 13-year-old, Police Say

An Ulster County man is accused of disseminating indecent materials to a minor during online chats with who he assumed was a 13-year-old girl.

In August, the United States Department of Homeland Security began an investigation into explicit online communications between a Kingston man and a person he believed to be a thirteen year old female. The 13-year-old girl was really an an undercover Homeland Security agent.

Over the course of several days in the end of August, several conversations took place, which included discussions regarding meeting in person for sexual conduct and the transmission of sexually explicit photographs, police say.

On Wednesday, members of the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team, URGENT, and Homeland Security executed a search warrant at the Kingston home of 26-year-old Matthew J. Brownlee Jr.

The search warrant led police to charge Brownlee with disseminating indecent material to minors, a felony. Authorities didn’t reveal what they found while searching the home.

Brownlee was arraigned in Ulster Town Court and released to appear in Kingston City Court at a later time.

The following agencies have members assigned to URGENT: Ulster County Sheriff's Office, Ulster County District Attorney's Office, Town of Woodstock Police, Town of Lloyd Police, Town of Shandaken Police, Ulster County Probation, Town of Plattekill Police, Town of Marlborough Police, Town of New Paltz Police, Village of Ellenville Police and the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations.