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PITTSBURGH - A Fayette County resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, on charges of distribution and possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The six-count indictment, returned on April 27, named Matthew Robert Sible, 30, of Fairchance, Pa., as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on July 13, 2015, July 23, 2015, August 4, 2015, and August 6, 2015, Sible distributed images containing material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, the production of which involved the use of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, some of whom had not yet attained 12 years of age. The indictment further alleges that on August 19, 2015 and September 10, 2015, Sible knowingly possessed and knowingly accessed with intent to view images in computer graphic files, the production of which involved the use of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, some of whom had not yet attained 12 years of age.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 120 years in prison, a fine of $1,500,000.00 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Lieber Smolar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and Office of Pennsylvania’s Attorney General conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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.