Ohio Resident Indicted on Sexual Exploitation of a Minor Charges

ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Garrettsville, Ohio, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of minors, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

The six-count Indictment named Robert Alan Pepus, 26, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, from in and around September 2024 through in and around October 2024, Pepus engaged in interstate travel for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with a minor and, on several occasions, induced that minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct. Pepus also possessed child sexual abuse material.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to life plus 130 years in prison, a fine of up to $1.5 million, or both. 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 Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

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 (CEOS), 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.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.