A Bethel Park resident has entered a guilty plea in federal court for charges related to child sexual exploitation and possessing contraband in prison. Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti made the announcement.
Seth Hollerich, aged 30, pleaded guilty to three counts before United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV. According to the case details, Hollerich distributed materials depicting child sexual exploitation twice, in March 2021 and September 2021. Additionally, while incarcerated for these offenses in November 2024, he was found with prohibited items intended as weapons: an 8.5-inch shank with a sharpened plastic tip and two 4-inch shanks with sharpened foil tips.
Sentencing is set for October 14, 2025. The law stipulates that crimes of child sexual exploitation carry sentences ranging from five to twenty years imprisonment and fines up to $250,000. For the contraband charge, the sentence can be up to five years with similar fines. The final sentence will depend on the seriousness of the offenses and any prior criminal history.
Hollerich remains detained pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorneys Heidi M. Grogan and Kelly M. Locher are prosecuting the case.
The investigation was carried out by the Department of Homeland Security, United States Marshals Service, and Butler County Prison.
This case falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordinated efforts across various levels of law enforcement.
