Schenectady man gets 25 years in prison for trying to solicit minor for sex

A Schenectady man was sentenced on Tuesday to 25 years in prison for attempting to solicit a minor for sex in 2020. He was convicted of similar crimes three times before.

Matthew Peters, 49, admitted in U.S. District Court that between Oct. 2 and Oct. 7, 2020, he initiated and exchanged sexually explicit text messages with someone who he believed to be a 14-year-old child.

Peters repeatedly asked the person to send nude pictures and meet him on multiple occasions. He also discussed engaging in sexual acts when they met, prosecutors said.

He was arrested when he arrived at a prearranged meeting location on Oct. 7.

Peters’ previous three convictions were two in 2000 and one in 2012. Each involved sexually abusing a child he met online.

Peters also will be placed on a lifetime term of post-release supervision. He will have to register as a sex offender when released from prison.

This case was investigated by the FBI Albany’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department, Rotterdam Police Department and New York State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping prosecuted the case.