Monaca Resident Sentenced to Two Decades in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Obstructing Justice

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of Monaca, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 20 years of incarceration, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, on his convictions for sexual exploitation of a minor and obstructing justice, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Nicholas Sittig, 28, on June 23, 2025.

According to information presented to the Court, from in and around August 2023 until in and around April 2024, Sittig induced a minor, who resided in California, to produce a visual depiction of the minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct for Sittig’s sexual gratification. In and around December 2023, when Sittig became aware that federal law enforcement officers were investigating him, Sittig induced the minor to aid him in destroying records and documents related to his sexual offenses against the minor—namely, his contact information in the minor’s cellular telephone and social media messages between himself and the minor—with the intent to impede, obstruct, and influence the investigation. The Court was further advised that agents with Homeland Security Investigations had identified a second minor, residing in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, whom Sittig similarly exploited online from December 2023 through March 2024.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Stickman acknowledged the seriousness of Sittig’s offenses and the harm Sittig caused his minor victims.

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

Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended Homeland Security Investigations—Pittsburgh, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (San Francisco and Pittsburgh), the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and the Monaca Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Sittig.

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.