Ramanan Pathmanathan, a 40-year-old Canadian citizen from Toronto, has 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 announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Pathmanathan entered his plea before Chief Judge James E. Boasberg to one count of production of child pornography and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor. Sentencing is scheduled for May 27, 2026.
“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 Duva stated, “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 several social media accounts—including Instagram and Facebook Messenger—to contact at least 145 minors between March 2014 and March 10, 2021. He posed as a teenage boy from New Jersey during these interactions.
He coerced victims into performing sexually explicit acts on video chats and sent images of adults engaged in sexual acts as examples for his demands. The victims were recorded during these sessions; some were as young as six years old. When victims refused or blocked him on social media, Pathmanathan threatened to share explicit images with their friends or family members.
In October 2022, Pathmanathan pleaded guilty to similar offenses in Canada and received a sentence of 12 years in prison.
The FBI Houston Field Office led the investigation with assistance from the Toronto Police Service. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs facilitated Pathmanathan’s temporary surrender from Canada.
Prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Shinskie and Trial Attorney Kaylynn Foulon from the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
This case falls under Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative started by the Department of Justice in February 2006 aimed at protecting children from online exploitation and abuse through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
