SANTA ANA, California
A Riverside County man pleaded guilty Friday to a federal criminal charge for catfishing a preteen girl he met on an online gaming platform and persuading her to send him sexually explicit photos of herself and, later, of her 5-year-old relative.
John Mathew Piecuch, 64, of Hemet, pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography.
He has been in federal custody since August 2021.
“This defendant has admitted his despicable acts and now will face a significant prison sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. “I urge parents everywhere to be vigilant when it comes to their children’s online usage. Predators lurk in the shadows and use the internet’s cloak of anonymity to inflict life-long trauma.”
According to his plea agreement, Piecuch met on Roblox, an online gaming platform, an individual identified in court documents as “Minor Victim 1,” a 12-year-old girl. Piecuch told the victim he was a 13-year-old boy.
In January 2021, Piecuch and Minor Victim 1 texted each other, during which time he persuaded her to send him sexually explicit images of herself.
Piecuch also persuaded Minor Victim 1 to take and send him sexually explicit photographs of Minor Victim 2, a 5-year-old girl.
Minor Victim 1’s mother saw some of the text messages between her daughter and Piecuch on one of the girl’s mobile devices, which prompted her to contact law enforcement, according to court documents.
U.S. District Judge John W. Holcomb scheduled an Oct. 25 sentencing hearing. At that hearing, Piecuch faces up to 30 years in prison.
The FBI investigated this matter in conjunction with the Carroll County (Maryland) Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonah Lee of the Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting this case.