BOSTON — A Worcester man pleaded guilty on Thursday to sexually exploiting three minor females and possessing child pornography.
Antonio Merced, 28, is being charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography before U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman.
According to charging documents, back in July 2024, he exposed two minor victims to pornography and sex toys, leading to an investigation that uncovered multiple videos he produced.
Merced admitted to using three minors to create sexually explicit videos on three occasions in 2023 and 2024. He was arrested in September 2024 and faced charges in Worcester District Court, including dissemination of obscene material to a minor, open and gross lewdness, and aggravated rape of a child. Merced was initially charged in November 2024 and remains in state custody on related offenses.
The charge of sexual exploitation of a minor carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, with up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The possession of child pornography charge can result in a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, with similar conditions for supervised release and fines.
Merced is scheduled to be sentenced on November 21.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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