A Michigan man with a history of child pornography offenses has been sentenced to over 15 years in federal prison, officials said Friday. Matthew Mercer-Kinser, 37, received the sentence of 15 years and eight months after being convicted of receiving child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Terrence G. Berg, a U.S. District Judge, handed down the sentence, following Mercer-Kinser's jury conviction. This is not the first time the man has faced prison for similar crimes; in June of 2009, he was sentenced to serve time for transporting child pornography. He was accused of collecting the illegal material while serving in the Army in Georgia, then later transporting it to Michigan, the Detroit News reported.
The case took a significant turn after Mercer-Kinser was reported to have sent sexually explicit text messages to a minor relative while staying in a Detroit residential reentry center. "A concerned adult learned of these communications and reported Mercer-Kinser to the FBI," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in charge of the FBI in Michigan, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Upon executing a search warrant on Mercer-Kinser’s smartphone, authorities discovered multiple images of child pornography and communications that reflected his ongoing sexual interest in children. During the trial, Mercer-Kinser himself admitted to having a sexual fetish for children, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison emphasized the commitment to "combating the sexual exploitation of children, to bring perpetrators to justice, and vindicate the rights of victims."
Officials have expressed their determination in dealing with such exploitative crimes. "Our office will use every tool at our disposal to combat the sexual exploitation of children, to bring perpetrators to justice, and vindicate the rights of victims," said U.S. Attorney Ison, detailed in the U.S. Attorney's Office press release. The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Shaw and Maggie Smith. They commend the role of the citizen who reported Mercer-Kinser, stressing that society must protect the vulnerable and hold accountable those who harm children.
