Matthew Daly

Through Grindr, Matt initiated contact with a decoy posing as a fourteen-year-old boy named "Travis". He referred to the decoy as "[his] baby", as well as saying he wanted "that ass".

Matt lived so close and was so relaxed about the situation that he rolled up to the sting house in his custom neon green golf cart, wearing his cap, sunglasses, shorts and house slippers. He didn't even try sneaking inside, instead taking a moment to speak to some nearby neighbors of his. He then grabbed his cellphone and backpack before approaching the house, where he was greeted by the on site decoy. The decoy immediately left the room, claiming that he had to grab his charger from the other room. After Matt took a seat in one of the armchairs, Chris Hansen walked out and instructed Matt to sit on the stool at the kitchen island. Matt refused, claiming he knew who Chris was and that he "cannot afford to do this right now." Matt attempted to leave the sting house after inquiring if the police were already outside, promptly being tackled to the ground and handcuffed by V.I.P.E.R. They requested the passcode to his cellphone, which Matt refused, claiming he needed his lawyer for that.

They eventually stood him up, with Matt wanting to know if he was being detained. The V.I.P.E.R. units explained he was under arrest, not detained, with Matt asking not to be filmed. When Chris told Matt that he didn't have a choice, Matt asserted that he did, not understanding he gave up his taping rights by committing a felony. Matt trying to argue his way out of being filmed resulted in Chris sarcastically asking if he was a lawyer, which Matt denied. He acknowledged Chris was "an intelligent man", but he didn't want to talk or be taped. Matt then asserted that he asked the decoy if he was the police department and said he told the decoy that he just wanted to hang out, acknowledging that it was just a website where people meet, not coming for anything illegal. When Chris attempted to ask Matt more questions, he interrupted by telling Chris he had seen his shows before.

He reiterated his "hang out" excuse, saying that he had work in the morning and was planning on going to bed after hanging out and leaving the sting house for an hour or so. He refused to reveal where he worked, however, fearing he would get fired. He then tried to get pity points, saying that he had nothing except his job and all his relatives (except his mother who he took care of the best he could) were dead. He further went on saying that if he lost his job he would lose everything because he wouldn't be able to take care of his dog or keep his house. Chris said he understood, but it still didn't excuse meeting a child online for sex, as well as acknowledging in a post-production voice over that Matt only had his own actions to blame on his mother and dog fending for themselves.

Matt went on, agreeing with Chris before immediately going on another ramble about how he didn't know what was even going on, being freaked out by the whole situation. Chris tried to explain that Matt had been caught trying to have sex with a fourteen-year-old boy on an app that Matt kept referring to as "a legal app", then claiming that he didn't see the boy's age on the profile (despite admitting to knowing he was fourteen moments earlier). He then asked one of the units to readjust his glasses, which he mistook for Matt asking him to remove his sunglasses. After the misunderstanding, the officer put Matt's sunglasses back on his face.

Matt went on to claim he had done nothing wrong, simply attempting to meet someone through the legal app without coming over specifically for sex. He went on to try and refute the evidence by claiming that they couldn't prove the texts were from him, which Chris very promptly brushed off as nonsense, given they had all the proof they needed that the texts came from Matt's profile and cellphone. Matt asked the Sheriff one last time not to be filmed before reiterating he only came to hang out. After further playing the pity party by saying he nothing except his little bag (which had two beers and marijuana in it that he denied intending to share with a minor), his cellphone, his job (which he would be in trouble for calling in saying he couldn't come in after being arrested for a sex crime) and his house, he tried a new excuse, claiming that he thought the decoy was joking because people lie about their ages all the time, indirectly admitting that previous young people he had spoken to and possibly met up with turned out to be anywhere from twenty-one to twenty-five-years-old. Chris once again refuted Matt's lies and excuses, reiterating the decoy clearly told him that he was fourteen, as well as once again acknowledging Matt's interest in "a good BJ".

Matt made one last attempt to defend himself by claiming someone he previously met as in their fifties despite claiming they were in their twenties. Due to the sudden arrival of another suspect, Matt was promptly escorted out of the back door and taken to the police station.

Matt was charged with three felonies: Child Abusive Commercial Activity, Using a Computer to Commit a Crime, and Accosting a Child for Immoral Purposes. Following Matt's bust, Jerry Hetherington , another suspect caught moments after Matt left the sting house, claimed that he knew of Matt and as well as others in the neighborhood as people who engaged in predatory behavior, but denied ever directly engaging with Matt beyond a passing greeting when walking around the neighborhood. Following their arrests, however, the two became cellmates, although it is unknown if they continually interacted during their incarceration.

In July, 2023, Matt was arrested for Carrying a Concealed Weapon, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and various motor vehicle violations. He pled guilty to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in exchange for the other weapon and motor vehicle charges being dropped. On January 16, 2025, he was sentenced to 150 days in jail, with credit for 42 days, and three years of probation. On the same day, Matt was also convicted of Attempted Accosting a Child for Immoral Purposes, a lesser charge he pled no contest to in exchange for the other sexual charges being dropped. For this charge, he was sentenced to three days in jail, with credit for three days, and five years of probation. He was also required to register as a sex offender for 25 years. His two probations will run concurrently, with an expected date of release from probation being on January 16, 2030.

A year prior to the sting, Matt had a YouTube channel known as endtimewatchmen8701 , where he is known to have hosted livestreams predicting the end of the world. His channel was deleted after the sting, either by YouTube or by Matt himself. Of the Takedown predators, Matt's uncut police interrogation is one of only two to be fully accessible online, alongside the interrogation of his stingmate, Jerry Hetherington.