Two New Castle Men Charged with Sex Trafficking a Minor, Producing Child Pornography

PITTSBURGH - Two residents of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, interstate transportation of a minor for purpose of engaging in unlawful sexual activity, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, and sex trafficking of a child, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.

The four-count Indictment named Ronald Kyle Hartman, 27, of New Castle, Pennsylvania, and David Michael Monrean, 24, of New Castle, Pennsylvania, as the defendants.

According to the Indictment, on August 15, 2016, Hartman produced image files of the sexual exploitation of a minor. From August 14, 2016 to August 16, 2016, for the purpose of private financial gain, Hartman and Monrean did knowingly and willfully transport or arrange, induce, procure, or facilitate the travel of Minor A, who had not attained the age of 18 years, in interstate commerce, from Pennsylvania to Ohio, with the intent that Minor A would engage in prostitution and other sexual activity for which a person could be charged with a criminal offense, and aided and abetted such conduct. Also, from August 14, 2016 to August 16, 2016, Hartman and Monrean knowingly entered into a conspiracy to recruit for sex trafficking a female minor who had not attained the age of 18 years. The Indictment further alleges that from August 14, 2016, to August 16, 2016, Hartman and Monrean knowingly recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, obtained and maintained by any means, in and affecting interstate commerce, a female minor under the age of 18 years, and did benefit financially or by receiving anything of value from participation in a venture engaged in commercial sexual acts, knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact, and having had a reasonable opportunity to observe Minor A, that Minor A had not attained the age of 18 years and that Minor A would be caused to engage in a commercial sex act.

For Hartman, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of life imprisonment, a fine of $1,000,000.00, and a term of supervised release for any term of years not less than five, and up to life, or any or all. For Monrean, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of life imprisonment, a fine of $750,000.00, and a term of supervised release for any term of years not less than five, and up to life, or any or all. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.

Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Lieber Smolar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Grove City Police conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

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

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.