Inmate of Detroit Residential Reentry Center convicted of receiving child porn

FOX 2 (WJBK) - A federal jury convicted a resident of the Detroit Residential Reentry Center of receiving child pornography, according to United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.

Matthew Mercer-Kinser, 36, was serving the last few months of a 2009 conviction for transporting child pornography in which he served 12.5 years in prison for.

In July 2019, the Bureau of Prisons designated Mercer-Kinser to serve the final months of this sentence in a Detroit Residential Reentry Center. While at the RRC, Mercer-Kinser sent numerous sexually explicit text messages to a minor relative.

The trial, which began on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, was conducted before United States District Judge Terrence G. Berg.  Mercer-Kinser now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.

A concerned adult learned of these communications and reported Mercer-Kinser to the FBI.

"Execution of a search warrant for Mercer-Kinser’s smartphone revealed several images of child pornography and numerous disturbing communications demonstrating Mercer-Kinser’s continued, prolific sexual interest in children," according to the US Attorney Office's release.

When Mercer-Kinser testified in his own defense during trial, he admitted his sexual fetish for children.

A sentencing date has been set for June 29, 2023, at 9 am.

"Protecting children from dangerous predators is a top priority for our office," Ison said. "The actions of a concerned adult were crucial in bringing the crime in this case to the attention of law enforcement, and parents and other relatives need to be vigilant in watching out for signs of abuse or the exploitation of our kids."

"This defendant’s repeat sexual offenses make him an extreme danger to our youth. Today’s guilty verdict is a step closer to ensuring Mercer-Kinser no longer has access to children in any way," said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. "The combined efforts of the member agencies in the FBI’s Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Task Force continue to form a formidable barrier between predators and our children."