COLUMBUS – A Newark man was sentenced to 25 years in prison by a federal judge for sexually exploiting minor boys and soliciting child pornography through Snapchat from dozens of other minors he had access to through his role in a local youth church group.
Matthew Reif pleaded guilty in December to sexually exploiting minors and possessing child pornography involving at least 52 juveniles in the community and online between October 2020 and July of last year, said Kenneth Parker, U. S. attorney for the Southern District of Ohio.
According to court documents, Reif, 27, offered gifts and money to minor boys and asked them to participate in sex acts with him or for him.
Reif used text messaging and Snapchat to communicate with his victims, posing as a female named “Nicole,” to obtain material from the boys, Parker said.
Authorities allege that Reif also contacted juveniles he knew from the community, posing as himself and garnering their trust through his position in a Heath church.
He also recorded victims with a hidden camera that he placed in different bathrooms during overnight stays at his home, Parker said.