A federal grand jury this afternoon indicted  John Mathew Piecuch, 61 with sexual exploitation offenses alleging he convinced a preteen girl to send him sexually explicit photos of herself and a younger relative. Piecuch was named in a three-count indictment that charges him with attempted enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, production of child pornography, and receipt of child pornography. Piecuch posed as a 13-year-old boy on an online gaming platform, where he met a 12-year-old girl in late 2020. After moving their conversation to a text message system, Piecuch requested sexually explicit photos from the girl, who also sent sexually explicit photos of a 5-year-old relative. The 12-year-old girl's mother  saw some text messages between her daughter and Piecuch on the girl's mobile devices and contacted authorities. Piecuch now sits in jail without bond pending trial. 

       If convicted on all three counts, Piecuch faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Each of the three charges carries a mandatory minimum sentence, with the mandatory minimum sentence for production of child pornography being the longest at 15 years in prison.

     An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.