A Corpus Christi man has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting four young girls.
Matthew Joseph Lucio, 30, pleaded guilty in April to charges of online solicitation and production of child pornography.
Today, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales sentenced Lucio to life in prison and ordered him to pay $10,000 in restitution.
According to the prosecuting attorney, one adult and eight minor females reported that Lucio drugged and sexually assaulted them. Authorities also discovered several photographs of what appeared to be young females on Lucio’s digital devices along with more than 24,000 pages of social media communications between him and other unidentified minor females that were sexual in nature.
In November 2017, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children notified authorities that Lucio had used an internet messaging app to solicit a minor female for sex. Law enforcement identified the girl and confirmed the abuse.
Days later, law enforcement received another NCMEC report that Lucio solicited a different minor female for sexual intercourse. Authorities identified the second minor female who also confirmed the abuse.
Authorities searched Lucio’s home, seizing drugs and several digital devices. Analysis of the devices led to the discovery of videos depicting the sexual assault of two different minor females. Both minors were located and also confirmed the abuse. All four minor females reported that Lucio drugged them before they were sexually assaulted.
Lucio was arrested on federal charges in February 2018 and has been in custody since that time where he will remain pending transfer to prison to be determined in the near future.
