Ramanan Pathmanathan, a 40-year-old Canadian citizen from Toronto, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to charges related to a sextortion scheme that targeted more than 100 children across the United States. The plea was entered before Chief Judge James E. Boasberg, who scheduled sentencing for May 27, 2026.
Pathmanathan admitted guilt to one count of production of child pornography and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor.
“Today my prosecutors took a particularly heinous child predator offline,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. “Pathmanathan targeted over a hundred children across our country, exposing them to pornography and then forcing them to commit horrendous acts for his own pleasure. Now, the only thing he will be exposed to is the inside of a prison cell.”
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva commented on the significance of the guilty plea: “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. For years, while hiding in another country behind a fabricated online persona, he used manipulation, threats, and fear to coerce unsuspecting juveniles into producing and engaging in sexually explicit acts, robbing them of their innocence. We will hold accountable anyone who preys on our children, including those who do it from behind a computer screen to ensure that victims are protected and treated with the dignity they deserve.”
Court documents show that Pathmanathan used multiple social media accounts—primarily Instagram and Facebook Messenger—to contact at least 145 minors between March 2014 and his arrest on March 10, 2021. He posed as a teenage boy from New Jersey during these interactions.
He demanded that minors engage in sexually explicit conduct during video chats and directed them to perform various sexual acts. In many cases, he sent images of adults engaged in sexual activity as examples for his victims to follow. Some victims were as young as six years old.
When victims refused or blocked him on social media platforms, Pathmanathan threatened to distribute images to their friends or family members.
Previously, on October 27, 2022, Pathmanathan pleaded guilty in Canada to similar offenses and received a sentence of twelve years in prison.
The FBI Houston Field Office led the investigation into this case with assistance from Toronto Police Service. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs arranged for Pathmanathan’s temporary surrender from Canada.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Shinskie and Trial Attorney Kaylynn Foulon are prosecuting the case under the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative—a nationwide program established in February 2006 aimed at protecting children from online exploitation by coordinating federal, state, and local resources (www.projectsafechildhood.gov).
