A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh has indicted a Glenwillard, Pennsylvania resident on charges related to the possession of child sexual abuse materials. Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced the indictment against 20-year-old Aidan Harding.
According to court documents, Harding was found in possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, including videos involving prepubescent children, on December 11, 2024. Following these findings, Harding was charged by criminal complaint on January 27, 2025. During a detention hearing held on February 12, 2025, he was ordered to be held without bond pending trial.
The United States presented evidence at the hearing that not only supported the charges but also highlighted additional concerns about Harding's potential threat to public safety. This included his adherence to a racially-motivated violent extremist ideology and possession of over 20 firearms. The evidence further indicated that Harding had targeted Pittsburgh’s Jewish community with antisemitic fliers and expressed interest in mass casualty events driven by political and revenge motives. His online statements referenced incidents such as the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh.
Additionally, it was revealed that Harding had been previously adjudicated delinquent for making terroristic threats after expressing a desire to carry out a "high kill count" attack. Evidence also showed that he possessed videos of mass shootings from various countries and had filmed himself re-enacting the Columbine school shooting at a memorial site.
If convicted, Harding faces up to 20 years in prison and fines up to $250,000 under federal law. The actual sentence would depend on factors such as the seriousness of the offense and any prior criminal history.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel is prosecuting this case with investigative support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through collaboration between federal, state, and local resources.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an accusation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
