REGIONAL — A 39-year-old Britt man had pleaded guilty to first degree criminal sexual conduct for years of sexual assault of a male under the age of 14 and is facing a criminal sentence of 24 years due to aggravating factors.
Matthew Steven Tourigny was arrested in 2024, when he acknowledged to law enforcement officers that he had posted images of a young male, then nine-years-old, on Snapchat under the username “mtourigny86.” During the execution of a search warrant at Tourigny’s residence, law enforcement officers recovered multiple cellphones, a camera, and a laptop computer. During the search, Tourigny acknowledged ownership of the Snapchat account mtourigny86 and that he had a significant relationship with the nine-year-old boy. Officers found additional photographs of the nine-year-old, including some that were more explicit than the one sent over Snapchat. Tourigny did, however, acknowledge sending more explicit images to other Snapchat users in exchange for their sending other, similar images to him.
The St. Louis County Attorney’s Office credits the successful prosecution of this case to the investigation by both the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Homeland Security investigations.
Sentencing is scheduled for 3 p.m. on April 14 in Virginia before Judge Robert Friday.