Tampa Man Pleads Guilty to Sending Obscene Material and Letters to a Western PA Minor

PITTSBURGH - A Florida resident pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of transferring obscene material to a minor, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

Robert Fike, age 50, of Tampa, Florida, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in January of 2019 and in February of 2019, Fike sent packages to a minor female residing in the Western District of Pennsylvania. The packages contained obscene material—socks or leggings with Fike’s semen, as confirmed by laboratory testing and letters addressed to Minor A with graphic, sexually explicit content.

Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for April 5, 2022 at 9:30 a.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, the Court ordered that the defendant remain detained.

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

The United States Postal Inspection Service, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and the Penn Township Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Fike.

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.