South Fayette man pleads guilty to filming sex with 14-year-old girl

A South Fayette man has pleaded guilty in federal court to filming himself having sex with a 14-year-old girl, then sending her photos and a video of the encounter.

Matthew Trax, 25, used “multiple iPhones” to record sex acts with the teen in November 2023, authorities said.

Trax pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in Downtown Pittsburgh to one count of producing sexually explicit material.

Trax could face 15 years in prison, a fine up to $250,000 or both, prosecutors said. He is set to be sentenced Aug. 21 by U.S. District Judge W. Scott Hardy.

Attorney Gary Gerson, who represents Trax, declined comment Monday.

A criminal complaint filed last year accused Trax of having sex several times with the girl after the pair met on the social media app Snapchat.

“How many years til ur 18? 3 or 4?” Trax texted the girl on Nov. 29, 2023, according to police.

The incidents took place at Trax’s home and in the back seat of his pickup truck while parked in a lot near Mt. Lebanon High School, the complaint said.

The girl’s parents learned of the relationship in December 2023 and contacted police, according to the complaint.

Allegheny County Police charged Trax in January 2024 with sexual assault, possession of child pornography, unlawful contact with a minor, and knowingly filming a child in a sex act, among others.

The case headed to federal court in May 2024 when Trax was indicted on multiple counts of distributing and producing sexually explicit material, court records show.

TribLive does not identify victims of sexual abuse.

Trax remained Monday in the Allegheny County Jail, court records show.

In Pennsylvania, children younger than 13 years old cannot consent to sexual activity, according to the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect. Children between 13 and 15 years old cannot consent to sexual activity with anyone who is four or more years older than them.