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WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced sexual exploitation or know someone affected by it.
A 40-year-old man from Toronto has pleaded guilty in the United States for sexually exploiting more than 100 children on social media.
The U.S. Justice Department says Ramanan Pathmanathan pleaded guilty in a Washington, D.C., court to charges of production of child pornography and coercion and enticement of a minor.
The department says the accused man was arrested on Dec. 3 after being temporarily surrendered to the U.S., where he has remained incarcerated pending trial.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva says Pathmanathan was hiding in another country behind a fabricated online persona, and he “used manipulation, threats and fear to coerce juveniles into producing and engaging in sexually explicit acts robbing them of their innocence.”
“Today’s guilty plea marks a critical step toward justice for over 100 targeted victims in the United States who this predator harmed with his diabolical actions,” Duva said in a news release Friday.
“We will hold accountable anyone who preys on our children, including those who do it from behind a computer screen.”
The Justice Department says the 40-year-old admitted under a plea agreement that he sexually exploited more than 100 girls by posing as an American teenage boy for seven years, up until he was arrested in Canada.
It says the victims ranged in age from 11 to 17 years old and they were located all over the United States.
Pathmanathan pleaded guilty to similar offences in Canada in October 2022 and was sentenced to 12 years in prison in the Canadian justice system.
The U.S. Justice Department says he is facing a maximum penalty of life in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison, in addition to fines and a period of supervised release for the charges in the U.S.
Pathmanathan is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27.
If you’re in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911. For support in your area, you can look for crisis lines and local services via the Ending Sexual Violence Association of Canada database.