CLEVELAND – Matthew Lucarell, 42, of Youngstown, Ohio, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker to 30 years in prison after Lucarell pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual exploitation of children, one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receipt and distribution of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
According to court documents, from September 2019 to March 2021, Lucarell coerced four separate minor victims into engaging in sexually explicit conduct in order to produce visual depictions of the interactions. In addition, from May 2018 to February 2021, Lucarell knowingly received and distributed various files of child pornography.
On April 1, 2021, Lucarell was found to be in possession of a cell phone and two Micro SD Cards, which contained numerous files of child pornography, including at least one image involving a minor under the age of 12.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret A. Kane.