Worcester man sentenced for sexually exploiting 6-year-old, 2 other children
A Worcester man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for filming himself sexually abusing a 6-year-old and two other children, the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney's Office announced Monday.
Antonio Merced, 29, pleaded guilty in federal court to three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography in July 2025, federal prosecutors said in a press release .
Authorities began investigating Merced in July 2024 after he exposed two minors to pornography and sex toys, federal prosecutors said. The investigation revealed that he had been sexually abusing three minors and making videos of the abuse.
The videos showed Merced sexually abusing a 6-year-old in 2023 and two other children in 2024, federal prosecutors said. During his plea hearing in July 2025, he admitted to creating the videos and possessing hundreds of photos and videos of child sex abuse.
Merced was arrested in September 2024, federal prosecutors said. He also faced charges out of Worcester County Superior Court and was convicted on 10 counts of aggravated rape of a child.
Merced was sentenced to 25 to 30 years in state prison on the child rape charges, federal prosecutors said. He will serve his federal prison sentence after completing his state prison sentence.
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