CONCORD — A former Goffstown yuoth coach received a 25-year jail term Wednesday for producing child pornography, according to acting U.S. Attorney John J. Farley.
Matthew Riehl, 25, will serve that term in federal prison.
According to court documents, Riehl coached youth sports teams in Goffstown. Between July 2015 and August 2016, while posing as a teenage girl, he contacted his victims using social media accounts, including Instagram, Snapchat and KIK Messenger.
He then persuaded them to take sexually explicit photographs of themselves and send the photographs to him. When some of the victims sent pictures that were not sexually explicit, Riehl worked to convince them to take photographs showing more sexually explicit conduct. In some instances, Riehl was able to coerce the victims to send explicit photographs by threatening to post on social media photographs that the victims previously sent him.
On Aug. 31, 2016, a search warrant was executed at Riehl’s residence in Goffstown and his cell phone was seized.
An examination of the phone by the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force revealed approximately 500 photographs of minor boys, in various states of dress, including examples of child pornography. Numerous photographs depicted individuals who were members of teams that Riehl had coached.
Riehl, who previously pleaded guilty, will be on supervised release for 15 years after serving his sentence. He will also have to register as a sex offender for life.
“This 25-year sentence demonstrates that those who use the Internet to prey on young victims will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Farley said. “It is a sad fact of modern life that some individuals adopt false identities on the Internet in order to manipulate and exploit their young victims. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who create child pornography. I commend the bravery of the victims and their families who cooperated with this investigation and encourage all parents to speak to their children about the dangers that lurk on the Internet.”
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