North Side Man Charged with Attempting to Coerce a Minor to Visit his Apartment for Sex
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Illegal Sexual Activity, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Anthony Antosz, 45, formerly of Perrysville Avenue, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, from on or about January 19, 2022, and continuing thereafter until on or about May 16, 2022, Antosz did use a facility and means of interstate commerce, specifically the Internet and a cellular telephone network, to knowingly attempt to persuade, induce, entice or coerce an individual who had not attained the age of eighteen (18) years to engage in sexual activity.
According to an affidavit in support of a Criminal Complaint filed in this case, after chatting with an undercover agent posing as a 12-year-old child for months over his cell phone and the internet in an effort to entice the purported child to have sex, Anthony Antosz sent a Lyft ticket to the purported child so the child could ride to his apartment to engage in sexual activity. Antosz lined the staircase leading up to his apartment with lit candles in an effort to set the mood for his anticipated sexual encounter with a child.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than ten years in prison, a fine not to exceed $250,000.00, and a term of supervised release of at least five years. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin J. Risacher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.