Bay Area man arrested after wife reports child-porn discovery

MENLO PARK - A man was arrested Monday on suspicion of collecting thousands of child-porn images after his wife reportedly discovered some of the illicit material at their home in September, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.

Matthew Coda, 47, of Menlo Park, was arrested Monday evening as he got off a flight at San Francisco International Airport, Detective Salvador Zuno said. He was booked into the Maguire Correctional Facility on a felony count of possessing over 600 images of child or youth pornography, and is being held on $200,000 bail.

Coda first elicited suspicion when his wife found images depicting child pornography on his home computer in September, Zuno said. She contacted the Sheriff's Office, who promptly began an investigation.

Detectives spent the past two months meticulously building a case that culminated with detectives obtaining a warrant and arresting Coda as he returned from a Thanksgiving trip on Monday.

“Cases like this are very sensitive, and we have to be thorough,” Zuno said.

He added that there is nothing to suggest that Coda produced any of the images he is accused of possessing. Coda and his wife do not have any children.

“At this point it is only possession,” Zuno said. “There is nothing right now that suggests otherwise.”

Zuno lauded Coda's wife for coming forward with what she found.

“All credit goes to her for him being arrested. She had the courage to call us, when many spouses might look the other way and protect their spouse,” he said. “She just couldn't do that.”

The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the case can contact Sheriff's Detective Gaby Ghaghouri at 650-259-2314 or gchaghouri@smcgov.org. Anonymous tips can be left at 800-547-2700.