PITTSBURGH – A resident of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, has pleaded guilty to distributing material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors and has been sentenced in federal court in Pittsburgh to 5 years’ imprisonment and 10 years’ supervised release.
Senior U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed the sentence on Matthew T. Buchinsky, age 36, of New Alexandria, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court during the guilty plea hearing, from May 1, 2016, through May 11, 2016, Buchinsky distributed videos and sill images which depicted the sexual exploitation of a minors to other individuals using the Kik instant messaging software application. Additionally, on November 10, 2016, pursuant to a search warrant executed on his home, Buchinsky was found to be in possession of more than 8,000 videos and images which depicted the sexual exploitation minors, including those depicting infants and toddlers.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Conti emphasized the dangerous nature of Buchinsky’s conduct and stated that she hoped that he would take advantage of sex offender treatment while incarcerated. Judge Conti further ordered Buchinsky to pay restitution to victims requesting payment of such, in amounts to be determined by the court within 90 days of sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Department of Homeland Security/homeland Security Investigations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Buchinsky.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.