Mark Matis, Sex Trafficking of a Minor, PA 2014

Scranton man Mark Matis, 28, pleaded guilty today to sex trafficking of a minor, admitting he helped transport and exploit a teenage girl for commercial prostitution from February to May 2014. The plea, entered before Senior U.S. District Court Judge James M. Munley, lays bare a sordid operation that turned motels in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties into hunting grounds for predators.

Matis admitted to placing ads with the minor’s photos in the adult ‘escort’ section of a popular website, renting motel rooms where the acts occurred, and supplying drugs and condoms to the victim. He also served as a bodyguard during the prostitution sessions—playing both pimp and enforcer in a criminal ring that treated a child as currency. The operation ran for months, hidden in plain sight behind digital classifieds and cheap room keys.

The case emerged from a 2015 federal indictment tied to a broader investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Pennsylvania State Police. Four individuals were charged. Sean Cantelmo pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 151 months in prison. Jimmy Cantelmo also pleaded guilty and received a 10-year sentence. Justin Strait pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing. Matis, already in custody, remains behind bars pending his February 8, 2017 sentencing.

Under federal law, Matis faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life. The Federal Sentencing Guidelines will weigh the severity of the crime, Matis’s criminal history, and the need for deterrence and public protection. Despite no prior record, the brutality of the crime and its lasting harm to the victim loom large in the scales of justice.

“HSI is pleased that our joint investigation with PSP resulted in the defendant pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor,” said Marlon Miller, special agent in charge of HSI Philadelphia. “HSI is devoted to protecting children from predators.” The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Francis P. Sempa as part of Project Safe Childhood, a DOJ initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation.

Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state, and local efforts to rescue victims and dismantle networks of abuse. Since its launch, it has led to thousands of arrests nationwide. For more information on child safety and exploitation prevention, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. The court will deliver Matis’s final sentence in less than two months—where the law meets accountability.

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