Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual Exploitation Charges

PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of production and attempted production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.

Matthew Gourley, age 49, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge William S. Stickman, IV.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on January 6, 2020, Gourley forced Minor A, a minor female victim, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction, namely, a digital image and a video, depicting Minor A engaging in sexually explicit content.

Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for November 15, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 15 years but not more than 30 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, the Court ordered that Gourley remain detained.

Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Allegheny County Police Department, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Gourley.

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.