A Worcester man has pleaded guilty to charges related to the sexual exploitation of three minors. Antonio Merced, 28, entered his plea before U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman on three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography. Sentencing is scheduled for November 21, 2025. Merced remains in state custody on related charges after being charged federally in November 2024.
According to court documents, Merced exposed two minors to pornography and sex toys in July 2024. Investigators later found multiple videos that he produced involving three minors in incidents occurring during 2023 and 2024.
Merced was arrested in September 2024 and faced several charges in Worcester District Court, including dissemination of obscene material to a minor, open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior, dissemination of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), intimidation, enticing a child under 16, and aggravated rape of a child.
The charge of sexual exploitation of a minor carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, with the possibility of lifetime supervised release and fines up to $250,000. The possession charge can result in up to 20 years imprisonment, similar supervised release terms, and comparable fines. Sentences are determined by federal judges according to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
“United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Worcester Police Chief Paul B. Saucier made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.”
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006—to combat child sexual exploitation by coordinating efforts among federal, state, and local agencies for investigating such crimes and supporting victims (https://www.justice.gov/psc).
