The WACH FOX sports anchor arrested for possession and distribution of child pornography purchased explicit videos and images of an 11- to 13-year-old girl, according to investigators, and was identified by police through his Gmail account.
Matt Vereen, 28, a weekend anchor and sports reporter at WACH FOX 57 in South Carolina, was taken into custody Wednesday and charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.
Authorities found a photo of a child in “sexually explicit nudity” on his computer, the disturbing arrest warrant states.
In the photo, the young girl had her “legs spread” while her genitals were visible through “see-through panties.” Her “right nipple is also visible through a white see-through top,” the warrant continued.
Investigators were able to track down Vereen using Gmail records, Apple records, ISP records, and another record that was redacted.
WACH FOX sports anchor Matt Vereen (pictured), 28, was taken into custody Wednesday and charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.
Another warrant alleged that Vereen purchased a 132-second video showing a naked 13-year-old girl standing in front of a camera and exposing “her bare breasts” and genital area.
Another arrest warrant alleged that Vereen purchased a 13-minute, 32-second video showing a naked 13-year-old girl standing in front of a camera and exposing “her bare breasts” and genital area.
The arrest warrant also states that he purchased a 16-minute video in which a 13-year-old girl “stands naked in the bathroom and twerks,” exposing her body.
Vereen has worked as a sports anchor and reporter for WACH FOX 57 for nearly three years and previously worked as a sports reporter and anchor for KOLR, a news station in Springfield, Missouri.
The Instagram verified journalist often documents his fun lifestyle as he has been photographed with popular sports stars, celebrities, and coaches.
He also shared his jet-setting life with his hundreds of followers by posting several pictures from his European vacation in 2023.
Vereen frequently documents his fun lifestyle as he has been photographed with popular sports stars, celebrities and trainers. (Pictured: Vereen and Jason and actor Jason Sudeikis)
The journalist, verified on Instagram, published several pictures of himself in Europe in 2023
The 28-year-old has also already stepped onto the court and field himself – and his latest Instagram post shows him posing on the green with a golf club and some friends.
Investigators found that he had purchased child pornography, one image of which showed a young girl with her legs spread while her genitals were visible through see-through panties.
He often shares pictures of himself with his family and also with his co-hosts Matt Dowell and Amanda Poole.
After his disturbing arrest became known, WACH FOX 57 said it was aware of the seriousness of these allegations and noted that Vereen has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
“As this is a personnel matter, the station will not be making any further comment at this time,” a spokesman for the news channel told WIS-TV.
The Alvin S. Glenn Bond Court has since confirmed that Vereen was released on $40,000 bail.
Under the terms of his release, Vereen is not allowed to have access to personal internet and social media outside of work and is not allowed to have contact with minors without adult supervision.
Robert Kirk, communications director for the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, told DailyMail.com his trial date has not yet been set because it is “too early” in the investigation. If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison.
