A Michigan-born Elvis impersonator who has toured the country for decades has been charged with child sex after he was caught taking a naked 16-year-old girl from a Pennsylvania motel room to a New York runway. is being asked.
Matthew Chantelois, 45, was arrested around 4 a.m. on Jan. 24 at a Motel 6 on Interstate 90 in Summit Township, where he and a naked girl were found in Schroon Lake, a small town in the Adirondack region. State police found them together. GoErie.com reported.
The girl told police she had sex with Chantelois in a motel room, drank vodka given to her by Chantelois, and sent nude images of herself to Chantelois after meeting through social media several months ago, the paper said. That’s what it means.
Chantelois was charged with one count each of soliciting a minor to make a sexually explicit video. Use a computer or other electronic device to transmit images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Possession of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The indictment was unsealed Friday in U.S. District Court in Erie, and state police charged Chantelois with corruption of minors, interfering with the custody of a child and providing alcohol to a minor, GoEly reported, citing court records. It was reported that this was carried out after the indictment of Mr.
State police arrested the girl on Jan. 24 after New York police reported the girl was on the runway and appeared to be with Chantelois, a Dearborn Heights performer who goes by the stage name Matt King. began a search. This is clearly an homage to the legend. King of Rock’n’Roll. ”
New York State Police pinged Chantelois’ cell phone and tracked her to the motel area, where Pennsylvania State Police found Chantelois and the girl in a room, officials said.
According to an affidavit cited by the newspaper, the girl told investigators that she and Chanteloi sent nude photos of each other through Instagram.
“It was established that the victim and Chantelois had been planning her escape for some time,” the probable cause affidavit states, adding that the girl told police she had been at Schroon Lake in December for Christmas. She added that she stated that the suspect visited her while she was shopping. friend.
The girl left a note saying she was leaving with Chantelois, documents said.
“It was also determined that Chantelois had booked a room at the Motel 6 on January 20th and was apparently planning this event for January 24th,” the affidavit said.
The FBI eventually got involved, and the suspect ultimately faced federal charges, GoErie.com reported.
For the past 30 years, Chantelois has performed as an impersonator of Elvis Presley and other legendary singers throughout the United States and Mexico, as well as on cruise ships.
“Matt King is one of the top-ranked Elvis tribute artists in the world. He has won first place in over 35 contests.” According to his website. “Matt’s incredible voice, with a range of three and a half octaves, and his uncanny ability to look and sound like legendary performers, make him one of the best impersonators in the industry.
“Matt transforms into Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Joe Cocker, Waylon Jennings, Paul McCartney, Dean Martin, or GEMINI, a show where Matt plays all the characters in one night. ” His bio says:
According to GoErie.com, Chantelois posted $100,000 bail in January, the day after he was arrested and arraigned on state charges.
Erie-based attorney Stephen Sebold told the outlet that he had been living in Michigan while out on bail, adding that the defense was “conducting its own investigation” into the case.
He declined further comment to GoErie.com, including whether his client was traveling as an Elvis impersonator when he was arrested in Michigan on Friday.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit petitioned a judge to begin the process of transferring Chantelois to federal court in Erie, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Trabold ordered the suspect to be taken into custody, according to court records cited by the newspaper. I hope.
He faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 60 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000, officials said.
“I met a lot of good friends, met my wife, and traveled all over the world. It all started with Elvis” Chantelois told the Detroit Free Press. In a 2017 interview.
