South African Man Living in Jefferson County Charged with Distribution of Child Pornography

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Marcell M. Meyer, age 43, and a citizen of South Africa residing in Sackets Harbor, New York was arraigned today in federal court on charges of distribution of child pornography announced United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

According to the criminal complaint, Meyer used an internet-based social networking application installed on his cellular telephone to distribute child pornography to other users of the platform, including some who identified as children. In one such instance, Meyer distributed child pornography to an undercover HSI agent who Meyer believed to be a 13-year-old female child.

The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

If convicted of the charge in the complaint, Meyer faces a term of imprisonment of between 5 and 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release between 5 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. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. 

The case was investigated by HSI Syracuse and HSI Portland, Maine with the assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, New York State Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle as a part of Project Safe Childhood.

Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.