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Date: 05-15-2024
Case Style:
Case Number: 2:21-cr-00502
Judge: Robert J. Colville
Court: The United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania (Allegheny County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: The United States Attorney’s Office in Pittsburgh
Defendant's Attorney: Marvin Miller
Description:
Former Penn Hills Resident Sentenced to Three Decades in Prison for Sexual Exploitation and Extortion of Several Minors
Kuang Myat Kyaw, age 24, a former resident of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 30 years in prison and lifetime supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $27,826.57 on his conviction of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, and distribution of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor.
Kyaw, during various periods between August 9, 2020, and September 2021, used the Internet to entice and coerce five female minor victims ranging in age from 12 to 17 years old to produce photographs and videos depicting their sexual exploitation and engaging in sadistic and masochistic sexual acts. Kyaw initially tricked the minors into providing him with photographs showing themselves naked, and then used the threat of disseminating those images to their family and friends to extort the minors to engage in what he referred to as a “seven-day challenge,” during which he would demand that the victims produce increasingly depraved sexual imagery.
“This case is another unfortunate example of the disturbing increase in the online exploitation of children and teens in recent years,” U.S. Attorney Olshan said. “Our office is dedicated to continuing the important work with our law enforcement partners of protecting children and stemming the tide of devastating sextortion schemes like the one Kyaw perpetrated against multiple victims from behind his keyboard. We commend the strong federal, state, and local law enforcement coordination that helped identify and prosecute the perpetrator in this case.”
“Preying on children, tricking them into producing child sexual abuse material, and extorting them into ever-escalating behavior ranks among the most sadistic crimes the FBI investigates,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “We will never stop working to serve justice for the victims of predators like this individual. Today’s sentencing reflects the unyielding resolve of the FBI and our partners to protect the most vulnerable members of our community.”
In imposing the sentence, Judge Colville stated that a 30-year term of imprisonment reflected a balance between the defendant’s acceptance of responsibility, age, and mental health issues and the egregious and reprehensible nature of his crimes and the resulting consequences to the minor victims.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Fairfax County, Virginia, Police Department; Wright County, Minnesota, Sheriff’s Office, and other local police departments for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Kyaw.
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.
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