East Pittsburgh Resident Sentenced to Nearly 11 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Minor Convictions

This release was issued following the 43-day government shutdown during which the sentencing occurred.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 130 months of incarceration, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, on his convictions related to the sexual exploitation of minors, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced.

United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Richard Snyder, 54, on October 29, 2025.

According to information presented to the Court, from on or about July 15, 2023, until August 3, 2023, Snyder knowingly possessed and accessed with intent to view on a social media site visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Snyder’s conduct also violated the conditions of his supervised release imposed in 2012 on his conviction for receipt of child sexual abuse material.

Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Department of Homeland Security-Pittsburgh for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Snyder.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.