Pittsburgh Man Indicted in Project Safe Childhood Case

PITTSBURGH, PA. A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for violating various federal child exploitation laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced.

The six-count Indictment, returned on Dec. 6, 2022, and unsealed today, named Jacob Lexso, 41, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, Lexso is alleged to have distributed material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor on or about Sept. 22, 2020, and on or about Sept. 24, 2020. Lexso is also alleged to have received material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor on or about Sept. 22, and Sept. 24, 2020. On or about June 24, 2022, Lexso is alleged to have possessed material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 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 DeMarr W. Moulton is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.

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.

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