Massachusetts Federal Judge Sentences Worcester Man To Thirty Years For Multi-Year Sexual Exploitation Of Minors

Antonio Merced receives a 30-year federal sentence for the sexual exploitation of three minors. The term will run concurrently with his existing state prison time.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 31, 2026, 3:38 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Boston.com

Federal Sentencing Concludes Lengthy Abuse Investigation

U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman officially sentenced Antonio Merced to thirty years in federal prison during a hearing on March 26. The 29-year-old Worcester resident had previously entered a guilty plea in July 2025 to three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and a single count of possession of child pornography. According to the office of U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley, the sentencing marks the culmination of a federal pursuit to address the extreme nature of the crimes committed against multiple young victims, including a child as young as six years old.

Disturbing Digital Evidence Uncovered by Prosecutors

The federal investigation revealed that Merced engaged in a calculated pattern of abuse that he documented through video recordings. Prosecutors stated that evidence from 2023 showed Merced filming the sexual assault of a six-year-old girl, while subsequent recordings from 2024 depicted the abuse of two additional minors. Beyond the specific acts involving children known to him, Merced admitted to possessing a library containing hundreds of illicit photos and videos of unidentified children. The U.S. Attorney’s office emphasized that the defendant intentionally used the minors to create sexually explicit content for his own possession.

Concurrent State and Federal Prison Terms

Merced was already in custody prior to the federal sentencing, serving a 25 to 30 year term in state prison. This initial incarceration followed a February 2026 guilty plea in Worcester Superior Court, where he faced eighteen state charges including child rape, incest, and the distribution of obscene matter to a minor. Federal prosecutors have clarified that the new thirty-year federal sentence will run concurrently with his existing state time. Merced has remained in state custody since his initial arrest in September 2024, following a welfare check that first exposed the ongoing abuse.