Serbian Student Enrolled at Erie University Charged with Receipt and Possession of Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A Serbian national residing in Syracuse, New York, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of minors, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

The two-count Indictment named Lav Adamov, 20, of Zrenjanin, Serbia—who is in the United States on a student visa to attend an Erie, Pennsylvania, university—as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, from on or about January 13, 2025, to on or about May 15, 2025, Adamov received material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor. The Indictment further alleges that, in May of 2025, Adamov was found to be in possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor.

As to the receipt charge, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. As to the possession charge, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 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 Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the City of Erie Police Department, and the university’s 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.