Pittsburgh Resident Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 15 years of incarceration on his conviction of distributing child sexual abuse material, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Justin Hughes, 45, on April 2, 2026. Hughes was also sentenced to 10 years of federal supervision following his release from prison and ordered to pay restitution to one victim.

According to information presented to the Court, Hughes sent at least two emails including 11 video files and one image containing child sexual abuse material to another individual in Ohio. Law enforcement was able to attribute these emails and the email account to Hughes, who is a registered sex offender in Pennsylvania with a prior sexual abuse conviction around 2007.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Hornak commented on the very serious nature of Hughes' offense, which, in turn, required serious punishment. The judge also noted the harm to Hughes' victim and the impact of distributing child sexual abuse material.

Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Hughes.