Western District of Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh resident charged with transportation and possession of material depicting sexual exploitation of a minor

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal law relating to the sexual exploitation of a minor, U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

In the two-count indictment, Ashok Panigrahy, 53, was named as the only suspect.

According to the indictment, in November 2022, Panigrahy transported and attempted to transport material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor in interstate commerce and possessed material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor.

The law provides for a maximum total penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based on the seriousness of the offenses and the defendant’s prior criminal history, if any.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

Homeland Security Investigations (Pittsburgh and Chicago) conducted the investigation that led to the charges.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Abuse and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to investigate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

An accusation is an accusation. A suspect is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.