Man, 64, admits to 'catfishing' girl on Roblox, convincing her to send explicit images

A 64-year-old man from Riverside County has admitted to posing as a 13-year-old boy online and convincing a young girl to send him sexually explicit photos of herself and a young relative.

On Friday, the United States Department of Justice announced that John Mathew Piecuch, 64, of Hemet pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography.

According to his plea agreement, Piecuch met a 12-year-old girl from Maryland on the online gaming platform Roblox. He told the girl he was a 13-year-old boy and the two began texting one another outside of the online game.

Piecuch gained the girl's trust and eventually persuaded her to send him sexually explicit images of herself, court documents state.

But he didn't stop there.

After the victim sent him images of herself, Piecuch convinced her to take sexually explicit photos of her 5-year-old relative, the DOJ said.

The mother of the victim eventually discovered the text messages on her daughter's mobile devices and contacted law enforcement.

Piecuch was ultimately identified as the man on the other end of the line and he was arrested and taken into federal custody where he's remained since August 2021.

Piecuch is expected to be sentenced on Oct. 25, and could face anywhere from 15 to 30 years in prison.

United States Attorney Martin Estrada said he expects the Hemet man will receive a "significant prison sentence."

Estrad...