Sa Man Busted In New York For Child Pornography Distribution

A 43-year-old South African man has been arrested in New York following serious allegations of distributing child pornography, Cape town Etc reports.

Marcell Meyer, originally from KwaZulu-Natal KZN, is currently residing in Sackets Harbor, New York, and made his initial appearance in federal court on 28 March.

Meyer was apprehended while working on a farm in Jefferson County, where federal agents took him into custody. The details surrounding his case were released by the US Attorneys Office for the Northern District of New York, which underscored the gravity of the charges he faces.

According to the criminal complaint, Meyer allegedly used an internet-based social networking application on his mobile phone to share explicit material with other users on the platform, including individuals he believed to be minors. Notably, one instance involved Meyer distributing child pornography to an undercover agent posing as a 13-year-old girl, the attorney's office said.

If convicted, Meyer faces significant penalties, including a potential 5 to 20 years imprisonment. Furthermore, he may incur a fine of up to 250,000 and is likely to be subjected to a term of supervised release ranging from five years to life.