Matthew Ronk, Attempting to Entice a Minor into Sexual Conduct, Pennsylvania 2024

SCRANTON – In a disturbing case of child exploitation, a New York man has been charged with attempting to entice a minor into sexual conduct, the Grimy Times has learned.

According to the indictment, Matthew Ronk, age 50, of Hancock, New York, used the internet and an electronic device to attempt to persuade a person he believed to be 13 years old to engage in sexual conduct.

Ronk allegedly traveled from New York to the Middle District of Pennsylvania to carry out this heinous act. On one occasion, he transmitted obscene material to a person he believed to be 13 years old in an attempt to further entice a child into sexual conduct.

It is alleged that at the time of the offenses, Ronk was a registered sex offender. This case is a stark reminder of the dangers of online predators and the importance of protecting our children from exploitation.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations—Scranton, the Kingston Police Department, and the Wyoming Area Regional Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

The maximum penalty under federal law for the crimes charged in the indictment is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

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