A Cumberland resident, Melvin Vidal Herrera Perez, 21, has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for cyberstalking and distributing child sexual abuse material. The sentencing was announced by Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy also ordered Perez to serve 10 years of supervised release following his incarceration. He must register as a sex offender and pay $38,000 under the Justice for Victims Act of 2015 and the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.
Perez pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of cyberstalking and four counts of distribution of child pornography.
According to court documents, Perez began communicating online with the victim when she was fourteen years old. Over approximately four years, he encouraged her to send sexually explicit images. In fall 2024, after the victim attempted to end their friendship at age nineteen, Perez created a Google Drive link containing images produced earlier at his request. He established social media accounts displaying these images and distributed links via text and email to individuals in her personal network.
The court heard that Perez justified his actions by claiming he was “doing God’s work” while harassing the victim and sharing explicit material about her.
Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White prosecuted the case. The FBI led the investigation with support from the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local authorities. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
