Former Uniontown Resident Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Exploitation Offenses

PITTSBURGH, PA - A former resident of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 300 months’ imprisonment (25 years) on his conviction for twelve counts of child sexual exploitation, including the production and attempted production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, and possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy imposed the sentence on David Straitiff and ordered that following his release from incarceration, Straitiff be placed on supervised release for life. 

According to information presented to the court, Straitiff sexually assaulted four minors under his care, including the minor identified in the Indictment as Minor A, for a period of ten years.  The assaults began when the minors were as young as three years old.  Among other acts, Straitiff recorded his sexual abuse of the minors and forced them to watch videos of the assaults to convince them to submit to additional abuse.  Law enforcement recovered a thumb drive following a search of Straitiff’s residence containing child sexual abuse material produced on various dates between 2010 and 2012.

In sentencing the defendant, Judge Hardy described Straitiff’s crimes as “extremely disturbing,” and stated that the conduct indicates “true depravity” and “a disturbing betrayal of trust.”  Judge Hardy also acknowledged the “profound trauma” Straitiff caused the victims of his crimes.

Assistant United States Attorney Karen Gal-Or prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Olshan commended Homeland Security Investigations – Pittsburgh and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Straitiff.  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.