Penn Hills Man Charged with Violating Child Sexual Exploitation Laws
| U.S. Attorney’s Office June 21, 2011 |
PITTSBURGH—A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for violating federal child sexual exploitation laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The seven-count indictment names Russell Freed, 43, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, from Sept. 1, 2010, to May 25, 2011, Freed produced and attempted to produce visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and distributed, received, and possessed visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of at least 15 years in prison and up to 70 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,500,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Ross Township Police Department, the Pittsburgh High Tech Crimes Task Force, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, the Pennsylvania State Police, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Brentwood Police Department investigated the case leading to the indictment of Freed.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is a product of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in February 2006, Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.