Canadian Man Sentenced to 33 Years for Coercing Children Online
Summary
Ramanan Pathmanathan was sentenced to 33 years in U.S. federal prison after pleading guilty to producing child sexual abuse material and coercing a minor. Prosecutors said he used fake Instagram and Facebook Messenger identities to target more than 145 children.
Key points
- Pathmanathan pleaded guilty in January to producing child sexual abuse material and coercing and enticing a minor.
- Prosecutors said he used fake accounts on Instagram and Facebook Messenger, posing as a teenage boy to gain children’s trust.
- Court documents say he targeted children across the United States from at least 2014 until his 2021 arrest and stored material they sent.
- Prosecutors said he threatened to share the material with victims’ friends or family if they stopped communicating or blocked him.
- He must register as a sex offender and serve 10 years of supervised release; he is also serving a 12-year sentence in Canada for related offenses.
Article Details
- Event Type
- U.S. federal sentencing for online child sexual exploitation and coercion using fake social media identities
- Impact
- Ramanan Pathmanathan was sentenced to 33 years in U.S. federal prison after pleading guilty to producing child sexual abuse material and coercing and enticing a minor. Prosecutors said he targeted more than 145 children across the United States, coerced them into sending sexually explicit images and videos, and threatened to share the material. He must register as a sex offender and serve 10 years of supervised release; he is also serving a 12-year sentence in Canada for related offenses.