Redondo Beach man pleads guilty to exploiting underage girls, telling them to harm themselves
LOS ANGELES - A former Redondo Beach resident pleaded guilty Monday to sexually exploiting underage girls, asking them to send him photos of them harming themselves for his own sexual gratification, according to federal authorities.
Matthew Christian Locher, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child, according to the U.S. Attorney's office for the Central District of California.
According to Locher's plea deal, from November 2020 until May 2021, Locher used the internet to target underage girls with mental health issues including depression and eating disorders. In online conversations, the plea says, Locher told the girls to send him pictures and videos of them harming themselves. He's admitted to convincing one victim, who suffers from an eating disorder, to starve herself; telling two other young girls to commit acts of self-harm and send him photos and videos of it; and he is accused of convincing a 12-year-old girl to run away from her Ohio home to California to meet with him.
According to the U.S. attorney's office, Locher encouraged the 12-year-old to kill her parents, at which point he would pick her up, bring her to California, and make her his "slave." She traveled to California after setting a fire in her family’s home in an unsuccessful attempt to kill her parents.
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Locher relocated to Indiana in 2021 after a warrant was served at his residence. He was arrested in Indianapolis in 2022 and was transported back to California
Locher will face a sentencing hearing on Jan. 17, 2023. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
If you or a loved one is feeling distressed, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The crisis center provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to civilians and veterans. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Or text HOME to 741-741 (Crisis Text Line).
Are you or someone you know a recent survivor of sexual assault? Help is available. Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) provides a 24/7 national sexual assault hotline, which can be reached at 1-800-656-4673.