Los Angeles-area man receives two-decade federal prison term for producing child pornography of 5-year-old

LOS ANGELES – A San Bernardino man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for production of child pornography, including sexually explicit pictures of a 5-year-old girl, following a probe by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Riverside Police Department.

Jeremy Matthew Meyerett, 41, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips to 240 months in prison. Meyerett pleaded guilty in June to producing child pornography in a case arising from an undercover probe by the Queensland Police Service in Australia. According to court documents, Meyerett discussed sexually molesting a 5-year-old girl, and a subsequent search of an online account by federal investigators yielded child pornography depicting the young victim.

“Child exploitation offenses such as those prosecuted in these cases are a scourge on our community,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “My office will continue to protect vulnerable child victims of these heinous crimes by seeking lengthy sentences, such as the one imposed this week, for these criminals.”

Meyerett is one of a half-dozen Inland Empire men who have appeared recently in federal court on charges related to child pornography. Three other defendants received sentences of at least 10 years in prison.

The case ws prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Teresa Beecham, a Riverside County deputy district attorney who is also a member of the Riverside County District Attorney’s Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement (SAFE) team. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office dismissed a related state case against Meyerett in favor of federal prosecution.

The defendants in other significant Inland Empire child exploitation cases include:

• James Gregory O’Neill, 58, of Riverside, was sentenced May 2 to 10 years in federal prison following his third conviction for possession of child pornography. When authorities discovered the pictures on O’Neill’s phone, he was on parole after being convicted in Riverside Superior Court of possessing matter depicting a minor in a sexual act, a crime that led to a two-year sentence. O’Neill was convicted in federal court in 2003 of distributing child pornography, a conviction that brought a 40-month prison sentence.
• Andrew Harrison Fowler, 26, of Perris, who was convicted of having sex with minors in San Diego Superior Court, pleaded guilty April 18 to possession of child pornography, with some of the images depicting victims younger than 10. Fowler came to the attention of law enforcement after his employer discovered he was distributing and possessing child pornography while using a computer at his job in Corona. Fowler was sentenced June 27 to 12 years in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release. The case was investigated by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office Sexual Assault and Felony Enforcement (SAFE)/Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, which includes HSI.
• Anthony Michael Scotti, 22, of Murrieta, pleaded guilty April 4 to possession of child pornography. Scotti, who was previously convicted in Riverside Superior Court of distributing lewd material to a minor, admitted he used the Kik messaging app to distribute images of children engaged in sex acts with adults. In a plea agreement, Scotti also admitted he used text messages to convince a 15-year-old girl in another state to take sexually explicit pictures and send them to him. Scotti’s sentencing is set for Jan. 23, at which time he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. This case was investigated by HSI.
• Angelo Harper Jr., 21, of Moreno Valley, was found guilty after a two-day bench trial on charges of advertising, distributing and possessing child pornography. Trial evidence included an explicit six-minute video depicting a man with a pre-pubescent boy, as well as evidence showing Harper used Messenger to access a chatroom for those interested in nepiophilia, which is a sexual interest in infants and toddlers. Harper “possessed 8,260 images and 520 videos of child pornography,” according to court documents, including violent depictions of the rape and assault of babies and toddlers. He was sentenced in October to 235 months in federal prison. This case was investigated by HSI and the Riverside SAFE Task Force.
• Nathan Charles Longino Barba, 21, of Rancho Cucamonga, pleaded guilty in August to possessing child pornography. Barba received images and videos depicting child pornography over the internet. “Some of the images depicted children under two years old being used for sexual acts,” prosecutors said in court papers. “Other images of child pornography portrayed sadistic or masochistic sexual conduct involving the minor children.” Barba is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 30. Prosecutors have recommended a sentence of three years in federal prison. This case was investigated by FBI.