International Desk: A man from New York, Matthew Richardson, aged 36, has entered a guilty plea in federal court for a singular count of distributing child pornography, stemming from his actions involving a 16-year-old girl. He now faces a potential prison sentence ranging from five to twenty years, alongside a hefty fine of $250,000, with sentencing scheduled for December 19. This plea agreement was formalized in August.
Both Richardson's legal counsel and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of New York, which is overseeing the prosecution, have opted to refrain from public commentary until after the sentencing proceedings.
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Richardson's case garnered attention in a Reuters investigation conducted in July, which highlighted numerous complaints directed at law enforcement regarding the presence of child sexual abuse material on the platform OnlyFans.
The arrest of Richardson occurred at a highway rest stop in Ohio in December 2022, following his elopement with the New York teenager. Their acquaintance began at a grocery store, where a sexual relationship quickly developed. Subsequently, Richardson recorded himself engaging in sexual acts with the minor. On November 9, 2022, he uploaded the abhorrent video to his OnlyFans account, utilizing the alias Skylar Ravenwood, as detailed in the plea documents.
A relative of the victim, who remains anonymous to safeguard her identity, described the ordeal as "a nightmare," adding, "She's still not doing well."
The Reuters investigation uncovered 30 documented complaints within U.S. police and court records, indicating that child sexual abuse material had been featured on OnlyFans from December 2019 to June 2024. The inquiry revealed over 200 explicit videos and images involving minors on the site, including disturbing instances of adults engaging in oral sex with toddlers.
OnlyFans has refrained from commenting on Richardson's specific case. Notably, his account remained operational on the platform for over a year and a half following the posting of the underage sex video. As of mid-June, the video featuring the girl appeared to have been removed, and the account was ultimately deactivated after inquiries from Reuters.
The company asserts that it prohibits minors from accessing its website, claiming to thoroughly vet all content while promptly removing and reporting any instances of child sexual abuse material. Furthermore, OnlyFans maintains the authority to deactivate accounts that contravene its established guidelines.
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