Matthew Ferguson, 22, and Joshua Coleman, 22, got a 15-year-old girl drunk and high– and then raped her. Making matters worse, the men recorded the rape and posted the video to Facebook.
Both men have since pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and face a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years incarceration.
> “Protecting children from sexual exploitation is among our top priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas Cullen. “I am grateful for the dedication and commitment of our federal, state, and local partners in bringing these two sexual predators to justice.”
According to statement of facts entered into the record during the guilty plea, On October 22, 2016 Ferguson contacted the 15-year-old girl on Facebook Messenger in Danville, VA and said that he and his cousin, Coleman, had alcohol if she wanted to hang out.
The victim agreed.
Although they knew each other, prosecutors said the victim had never socialized with Ferguson or Coleman before Oct. 22, 2016, the night of the incident.
Coleman picked up the victim and drove her to his house in Danville VA, made them drinks with different types of alcohol, and all three smoked marijuana.
High and drunk, the victim eventually passed out.
When she woke up between 2 a.m. to 3 a.m., she said she didn’t feel well and asked Ferguson and Coleman to drive her to the hospital.
The two dropped her off outside before driving away.
The statement showed that the victim was treated for alcohol poisoning.
A few weeks later, the statement showed the victim saw two videos on Facebook where she was involved in sexual intercourse with Ferguson and Coleman. In both videos, Ferguson and Coleman record themselves having sexual intercourse with the victim.
Toward the end of the video, the victim appears unresponsive.
The statement shows the victim did not give permission for the sexual contact or the filming of it and at the time she was only 15-years-old.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Danville Police Department, the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, and the Danville Commonwealth Attorney. Assistant United States Attorney Heather L. Carlton and Ronald M. Huber are prosecuting the case for the United States.
