Clifford D. Johnson, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana
Matthew A. Bugielski, a 26-year-old resident of Lake Station, Indiana, has been sentenced to 360 months in prison after pleading guilty to the charge of Sexual Exploitation of Children. The sentencing was delivered by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund and announced by Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Following his prison term, Bugielski will be subjected to 15 years of supervised release and is required to pay restitution to the victim involved in the offense.
Court documents reveal that on or about June 19, 2023, Bugielski created a sexually explicit image involving a minor by inducing the minor to participate in such conduct for visual depiction purposes. Additionally, he distributed this image over the internet. On other occasions separate from June 19, Bugielski also shared additional images and videos containing child sexual abuse materials online.
The investigation into this case was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations with support from several agencies including the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Indiana State Police and its Digital Forensics Unit, Roanoke Police Department, Huntington County Sheriff’s Office, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Lake Station Police Department, and New Chicago Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Morgan prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 aimed at protecting children from exploitation and abuse. The project coordinates federal, state, and local resources to locate and prosecute individuals who exploit children while also identifying and rescuing victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
