An Elvis Presley impersonator has been charged with sexual exploitation of a minor after he was found naked in a Pennsylvania motel room with a runaway teenager.
Matthew Chantelois of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, was indicted in the US District Court in Erie on three counts relating to the sexual exploitation of children.
Chantelois, who goes by the stage name Matt King, was arrested on January 24 when police found a naked 16-year-old girl in his hotel room, reported Erie Times-News.
New York cops were searching for the runaway teen when investigators pinged the 45-year-old’s cell phone near a Motel 6 along Schultz Road in Pennsylvania.
The girl, from Schroon Lake in the Adirondacks, told police she had sex with him, drank vodka he had given her and sent him naked pictures of herself.
Elvis impersonator, Matthew J. Chantelois (pictured), was indicted in the U.S. District Court in Erie on three counts relating to the sexual exploitation of children
Police found him with a naked 16-year-old girl in his room at Motel 6 along Schultz Road in Pennsylvania (pictured) in January
Investigators said it appeared the two had been planning to runway for sometime and Chantelois had sent her naked photos on Instagram as well.
‘From in and around October 2023 to in and around January 2024, Chantelois used, persuaded, induced, and enticed a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct,’ said the US Attorney’s Office in Western District of Pennsylvania.
He was also charged with possessing and transporting child sexual abuse material in interstate commerce.
Chantelois, of Michigan, goes by the stage name Matt King and describes him as ‘one of the Worlds Top-Ranked Elvis Tribute Artists’
The affidavit of probable cause reportedly said, ‘Chantelois had booked a room at the Motel 6 on Jan. 20, clearly planning this event.’
After his arrest in January, Chantelois posted $100,000 bond and had been living in Michigan while out on bond.
He was arrested on the federal charges on Friday and his lawyer, Stephen Sebald, said he expects his client to be transferred to Erie soon.
The federal charges are expected to lead to the dismissal of the state charges. He was initially charged with corruption of minors, interference with the custody of a child and furnishing alcohol to a minor.
After his arrest in January, Chantelois posted $100,000 bond and had been living in Michigan while out on bond
Under the federal charges, Chantelois faces 15 to 60 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000.
Chantelois’s website describes him as ‘one of the Worlds Top-Ranked Elvis Tribute Artists.’
He has been performing as Matt King since 1992 and said to have won 1st place in over 35 contests.
‘Matt’s incredible voice, with a three and a half octave range, his uncanny ability to become these legendary performers in look and voice, makes him the best impersonator in the business,’ said his website.
He impersonates artists such as Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Joe Cocker, Waylon Jennings, Paul McCartney and Dean Martin.