A Norwalk man, Rudolph Girdhari, 36, pleaded guilty in Hartford federal court to possession of child pornography after waiving his right to be indicted. The announcement was made by David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents and statements presented in court, Girdhari had previously been convicted in state court in May 2012 for possession of child pornography in the second degree. He received a sentence of 10 years imprisonment with execution suspended after two years and was placed on probation for 20 years.
An FBI investigation into individuals exchanging child sexual abuse material on Wickr, an encrypted messaging platform, revealed that an email address associated with Girdhari accessed two networks trading such material on Wickr during 2022 and 2023.
On May 2, 2024, law enforcement executed a court-authorized search at Girdhari’s residence. Authorities seized multiple electronic devices including phones, tablets, computers, hard drives, and thumb drives. Forensic analysis uncovered over 2,000 images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.
Girdhari has remained detained since his arrest on May 16, 2024 for violating state probation.
His sentencing is scheduled for February 27, 2026. Due to his prior conviction for similar offenses, he faces enhanced penalties with a mandatory minimum prison term of ten years and a maximum term of twenty years.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Office of Adult Probation and the Norwalk Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood Initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice—a program focused on protecting children from sexual exploitation and abuse. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
Reports concerning child exploitation can be submitted at www.cybertipline.com.
