South African Citizen Charged with Distributing Child Pornography in Sackets Harbor
A 43-year-old man living in Jefferson County has been charged in federal court with distributing child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York.
Marcell M. Meyer, a citizen of South Africa residing in Sackets Harbor, was arraigned Friday in Syracuse following an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Authorities allege Meyer used a social networking application on his cellphone to share pornographic content involving children with other users, including individuals who identified as minors.
Federal officials say that in one instance, Meyer sent explicit material to an undercover HSI agent posing as a 13-year-old girl.
The charges stem from a criminal complaint and Meyer has not been convicted. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and supervised release of at least five years and potentially up to life. He would also be required to register as a sex offender and could face immigration-related consequences.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating child exploitation online. The investigation involved HSI offices in Syracuse and Portland, Maine, with assistance from the New York State Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine.