“Today’s guilty plea marks a critical step toward justice for over 100 targeted victims in the United States who this predator harmed with his diabolical actions.”
A Toronto man who previously served time in Canada for child exploitation offenses has pleaded guilty in the United States to sexually exploiting more than 100 children through social media, US federal prosecutors announced Friday.
The US Justice Department said 40-year-old Ramanan Pathmanathan pleaded guilty to production of child pornography as well as coercion and enticement of a minor. He was arrested on Dec. 3, 2025, after being temporarily surrendered to US authorities following his Canadian sentence, CP24 reports.
According to federal prosecutors, Pathmanathan admitted under a plea agreement that he targeted more than 100 girls across the United States over a seven-year period. The victims ranged in age from 11 to 17. Investigators said he posed online as an American teenage boy to gain access to minors and establish contact.
“Today’s guilty plea marks a critical step toward justice for over 100 targeted victims in the United States who this predator harmed with his diabolical actions,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
“For years, while hiding in another country behind a fabricated online persona, he used manipulation, threats, and fear to coerce unsuspecting juveniles into producing and engaging in sexually explicit acts, robbing them of their innocence,” Duva added.
Federal officials said Pathmanathan persuaded victims to engage in explicit acts during video chats. Without their knowledge, he recorded the sessions. When victims attempted to stop communicating with him, prosecutors said he threatened to distribute the recordings to their families and friends.
Pathmanathan was first arrested by Toronto police in 2021. At that time, he was charged with 93 offenses, including child luring, invitation to sexual touching, and making child pornography. He pleaded guilty to those charges in 2022 and was sentenced to 12 years in prison under the Canadian justice system.
US authorities said his American victims were spread across multiple states. The Justice Department added that the scale of exploitation only became fully clear after evidence was shared between Canadian and US law enforcement agencies.
Pathmanathan now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in US federal prison, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Prosecutors said additional penalties could include fines and a period of supervised release following incarceration.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27.
Libby’s Desk
Commentary and must-reads from Libby’s desk, straight to your inbox.
TPM Newsletter
The Post Millennial’s top stories, delivered to your inbox.
