A 43-year-old South African man, Marcell Meyer, who is living in the United States of America, has been charged with distributing child pornography in a federal court in New York.
The charges were confirmed in a statement by US Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Sarcone III said Meyer allegedly used a social networking app on his phone to share explicit content with other users, including someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl.
Reports indicate Meyer was arrested while working on a farm in Jefferson County, Alabama.
"In one such instance, Meyer distributed child pornography to an undercover HSI agent who Meyer believed to be a 13-year-old female child," Sarcone III said.
However, Sarcone III said that Meyer is presumed innocent until proven guilty
"The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty," he said.
Should Meyer be found guilty, he could face a prison sentence ranging from five to 20 years.
"If convicted of the charge in the complaint, Meyer faces a term of imprisonment of between five and 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release between five years and life. Meyer would also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and would likely face immigration consequences as a result of his conviction," he said in a statement.
"A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the US Sentencing Guidelines and other factors,"
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