A former resident of East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors. Richard Snyder, 54, admitted guilt before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville, as announced by Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti.
The court was informed that between July 15 and August 3, 2023, Snyder knowingly possessed and accessed visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on social media. This action violated the conditions of his supervised release from a previous conviction in 2012 for receipt of child pornography.
Judge Colville has scheduled sentencing for September 10, 2025. The law mandates a minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a potential fine of up to $250,000. The final sentence will depend on the seriousness of the offense and Snyder's prior criminal history.
Snyder remains detained while awaiting sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The investigation leading to Snyder's prosecution was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations-Pittsburgh. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood involves federal, state, and local resources aimed at locating and prosecuting individuals who exploit children and rescuing victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
