WORCESTER—A Worcester man convicted of sexually exploiting three minor girls—including a 6-year-old child—has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, authorities said.
Antonio Merced, 29, was sentenced March 26 by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 30 years in prison followed by lifetime supervised release, according to a federal announcement. The federal sentence runs consecutive to a separate state prison sentence.
Merced pleaded guilty in July 2025 to three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography, according to the announcement.
Investigators found that Merced had sexually abused three minors and produced videos documenting the abuse. Authorities said documentation from 2023 showed the sexual abuse of a 6-year-old child, while videos created in 2024 depicted two additional children being sexually abused.
According to the announcement, Merced also admitted during his plea hearing to possessing hundreds of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse involving children unknown to him.
The investigation began in July 2024, when Merced exposed two minor victims to pornography and sex toys, authorities said. A subsequent investigation uncovered the broader pattern of abuse and video production.
Merced was arrested in September 2024 and later indicted in Worcester Superior Court. He was subsequently convicted on 10 counts of aggravated rape of a child and sentenced to 25 to 30 years in state prison.
The federal sentence announced Thursday will be served after completion of that state sentence.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley, FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Ted E. Docks, and Worcester Police Chief Paul B. Saucier announced the sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
According to the announcement, the case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse by coordinating federal, state and local law enforcement efforts.
