A Pittsburgh man was sentenced Monday to 15 years in a federal prison on child pornography charges.

Matthew J. Gourley, 49, was ordered to spend 10 years on supervised release after the prison term. In sentencing him, U.S. District Judge William S. Stickman IV said the crimes were “heinous, inexcusable, abhorrent,” according to prosecutors.

Stickman ordered that Gourley’s federal sentence start after the expiration of a state prison sentence of 10 to 20 years on rape of a child charges in a 2016 incident in Allegheny County. He was sentenced on the state charges in July, according to online court records.

Federal prosecutors said Gourley created an image and video of child pornography on three occasions in January and March 2020 by documenting the sexual assault of a girl. Agents discovered the digital records during an undercover online operation. He pleaded guilty in July to a charge of production and attempted production of child pornography.

Gourley was ordered to forfeit a cellphone, according to federal court records.

Defense attorney Joseph Otte said in a sentencing memorandum that Gourley was subject to physical abuse as a child and used drugs and alcohol until entering the military. Gourley is remorseful and realizes he will spend the much of the remainder of his life behind bars, Otte said.

Federal prosecutors described Gourley’s crimes as serious and shocking in a sentencing memorandum. He was ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to the girl.

“To sexually, mentally and emotionally manipulate a child, and to also document the abuse in digital images, indicates true depravity,” prosecutors said.

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