ROCHESTER — U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Mathew Schulman, 36, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography following a previous conviction before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charge carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, a lifetime period of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that between May 2021, and June 2022, Shulman engaged in sexually explicit online communications with who he believed was an 11-year-old girl, but was actually an undercover New York State Police (NYSP) Investigator. During the conversations, Shulman asked the child produce and send to him child pornography, and tried to persuade the child to meet him for sex. Shulman also distributed child pornography depicting prepubescent minors in an attempt to groom the child for sexual activity. On June 7, 2022, the NYSP and Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at Shulman’s Rochester residence and took him into custody. At the time of his arrest, Shulman was a registered sex offender on probation for a June 2016 conviction of possessing child pornography in Monroe County Court.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian Ratajczak and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 8, 2023, at 2:30 p.m. before Judge Wolford.
